Linda McGarry has opened up on losing her son (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
In an emotional request to Santa, the young daughter of late favourite George Gilbey has expressed a poignant wish for Christmas the return of her beloved father.
George Gilbey, known from Celebrity Big Brother, tragically passed this year following a catastrophic fall from an 80ft height while working as a self-employed electrician. The incident involved him falling through a skylight and was described by a friend as “a terrible way to go”.
At just 40 years old, he leaves behind his daughter, Amelie, who faces her first festive season without her father, with whom she became a familiar face on Gogglebox alongside her grandmother Linda and step-grandfather Pete.
This year, eight year old Amelie Gilbey’s Christmas list held a heartrending appeal she implored Santa to “bring my daddy back”, willing to forgo all her gifts for his return, as reported by the Mirror.
Linda shared the touching details: “She’s done her Christmas list and it will break your heart. It says, ‘You can forget all of that if you bring my daddy back'”, reports .
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George Gilbey with his daughter (Image: Instagram)
Reflecting her grief during a recent school event, Amelie consoled a classmate by saying, “They had a Daddies Day [at school] and a girl was crying because her parents had broken up and Amelie said, ‘My daddy’s always with me everywhere I go. He’s in my heart.'”.
These tender sentiments come nine months post George Gilbey’s tragic accident at a Shoeburyness warehouse in Essex. Despite speedy attendance from an air ambulance, he was pronounced dead at the location.
George Gilbey died after falling 80ft while working on a building (Image: Instagram)
An inquest opened in April at Essex coroner’s court disclosed that he succumbed to injuries “consistent with a fall from height” after plummeting through a plastic skylight.
Following the tragic death of a man, police and the Health and Safety Executive have initiated a joint investigation, resulting in the arrest of two individuals on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
One of the suspects has been released under investigation while the other has been granted bail. The deceased’s mother, Lina, now aged 74, suffered a stroke six months after her son’s passing, which she attributes to the overwhelming stress of her loss.
She revealed: “On the tests, they couldn’t find where it had come from, but I think it’s the shock of George,” and added, “There’s no bigger stress than what I went through.”
The family’s ordeal highlights the profound impact such a sudden loss can have on loved ones.