Ant McPartlin Left in Tears by Barry McGuigan’s Emotional Story on I’m a Celebrity
Ant McPartlin revealed he was deeply moved and brought to tears backstage after witnessing an emotional moment on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. The TV host shared that Barry McGuigan’s heartfelt discussion about losing his daughter left him profoundly affected.
The touching scenes aired during the second episode of the 2024 series on Monday, 18 November, showing Barry opening up to his campmates about his late daughter’s battle with bowel cancer. Ant, who recently became a father, admitted on ITV2’s I’m A Celebrity… Unpacked that he was overwhelmed by the moment, according to OK! Magazine.
“That really got me,” Ant shared with hosts Joel Dommett, Kemi Rodgers, and reigning King of the Jungle Sam Thompson. “We watched it earlier in the day, before the show, and I was crying. I can’t imagine losing a child, and he didn’t want to go there, but he couldn’t help it. I thought the campmates were really lovely with him.”
Barry McGuigan’s daughter, Danika “Nika” McGuigan, tragically passed away at 33 in July 2019 after a second battle with cancer, reports the Mirror. Known for her role in BBC Three’s Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope, Nika had previously overcome leukaemia as a child after two years of chemotherapy.
The former boxing champion shared the harrowing experience with his campmates. “She had leukaemia when I was making The Boxer with Daniel Day-Lewis. Three weeks from the end, I had to leave because she’d been diagnosed. They thought she wasn’t going to get better, but she fought back and won it,” he said. “She had two years of chemo, she was good, she came back.”
Barry became emotional as he recounted the story, and campmates, including McFly’s Danny Jones and N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos, comforted him. Tulisa told Barry, “You’re a man going through pain, and you’re vulnerable about it. That takes strength. There are no rules to grieving… it’s a reflection of your love.”
Barry thanked them, saying, “You’re all so lovely, I really appreciate it.” He then shared the devastating news of his daughter’s second cancer diagnosis, which led to her passing just five weeks later. Nika had worked hard to star in the critically acclaimed film Wildfire, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020, but she tragically never got to see its success.
At the time of Nika’s death, the McGuigan family released a statement saying, “After a brief but brave battle against cancer, Nika passed away peacefully… surrounded by her loving family. As a family, we are devastated and ask for complete privacy during this difficult period to allow us to grieve for our Nika.”