Malcolm Timbrell, 70, a former contestant on Channel 4's reality show A Place in the Sun, fears his wife Annette Kilgore, 69, is among the 13 people killed in devastating wildfires that swept through southern Spain last week. The couple had moved to the village of Bédar in the province of Almeria after finding their dream home on the show in 2023.
Separation During the Blaze
Timbrell told the BBC that he became separated from his wife and 12 friends and neighbours as flames raced towards their home on Thursday, July 9. 'We have had an amazing life together and now it's stopped,' he said. 'If we had done the sensible thing and gone the other way and let our cats die, we both would be alive. But when you've got animals, you don't think like that.' He added: 'We are just waiting now for DNA clarification. And after that, I will probably just fall apart.'
Dream Home Found on TV
In 2023, A Place in the Sun presenter Leah Charles-King helped Malcolm and Annette find their Spanish home. Annette, a retired mental health worker, told the host she wanted to enjoy the Spanish way of life. The couple had a budget of £200,000 and fell in love with a stone cottage in Bédar, initially listed at £215,746. After a 'cheeky' initial offer of £175,000 was rejected, they agreed on a sale at £200,000. 'I couldn't be happier at the moment,' Malcolm said at the time. Annette added: 'We've just bought that Spanish beautiful stone cottage up on the top of a mountain. And that isn't what we came for? It's what we've bought, because it's what we fell in love with.'
Fire Conditions and Casualties
The wildfires were fueled by scorching temperatures exceeding 44°C, incredibly dry ground, and powerful winds. Eight bodies were found on a path near where Malcolm was rescued by emergency crews. Authorities in Spain are using DNA to identify victims, as many suffered severe burns. Relatives of the missing have been asked to provide samples to Bédar's civil office.
Among the confirmed dead are British couple Pete and Fran Gillam, also residents of Bédar. Their daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton confirmed their deaths on social media: 'We are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire.' Officials also identified a Spanish man and his British wife, a French woman, and a Belgian man among the victims. On Sunday, July 12, a 93-year-old British woman injured in the fire died in hospital. The number of missing remains unclear as authorities await DNA results and autopsies.
