I’m a Celeb fans send emotional tributes to Barry McGuigan after opening up on daughter's death

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! fans have paid tribute to show contestant Barry McGuigan on social media after he opened up about his daughter’s death.

ITV’s annual celebrity reality show kicked off on Sunday, with celebs entering the Australian jungle where they will try to earn public votes to make it to the end.

In an emotional moment with his campmates, former boxing champion McGuigan spoke about his grief after the death of his daughter.

McGuigan’s daughter Danika died in July 2019, aged 33, less than a month after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. She had previously battled leukaemia at the age of 11.

McGuigan broke into tears on Monday's showITV

The conversation in camp arose when BBC Radio 1 presenter Dean McCullough asked McGuigan if he goes to church.

“I used to go to church a lot but after my daughter… you know, not so much,” McGuigan explained, before giving more details about her health issues.

McGuigan said: “She had leukaemia when I was making the movie The Boxer with Daniel Day-Lewis, three weeks from the end I had to leave because she’d been diagnosed with leukaemia.

“They thought she wasn’t going to get better but she fought back and she won it. She had two years of chemo.”

McGuigan broke down in tears and was comforted by his campmates who also praised him for his strength and vulnerability.

On social media, viewers were quick to comment on McGuigan’s bravery.

“Barry McGuigan is an inspiration to so many men, young and old, who may be struggling with their mental health and feel lost.

“If a hardened boxer can express his feelings, so can you,” one X/Twitter user wrote.

Another wrote: “The level of respect I have for Barry McGuigan. He has just had me in tears for 20 minutes I can’t even imagine the pain he is going through as a father and to display emotion so openly.

“I just wanna give him a hug.”

Someone else said: “Barry McGuigan you’re an absolute legend and that was powerful and resonated with me the pain of losing a child and trying to deal with grief.

“Sheer strength and courage to handle and then talk this evening about you and your family’s sad loss.”

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