Annette Kilgore, 69, who appeared on the Channel 4 reality programme A Place in the Sun, is missing and feared dead after wildfires tore through the village of Bédar in Andalucía, southern Spain. The blaze on Thursday, July 9, claimed 13 lives in Bédar alone, with authorities using DNA samples to identify bodies burnt beyond recognition.
Husband's heartbreaking account
Malcolm Timbrell, 70, told the BBC he lost contact with his wife and a dozen friends and neighbours as flames approached their home. He said: "We have had an amazing life together, and now it's stopped. 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."
Their dream home in Spain
The couple moved from Cornwall to Bédar after appearing on A Place in the Sun in 2023. Presenter Leah Charles-King helped them find their dream home. Annette, a retired mental health worker, said: "It's not as commercialised, it's smaller areas of villages, so it just seemed the perfect place." They purchased a stone cottage for £200,000 after a "cheeky" initial bid of £175,000. Malcolm said: "I couldn't be happier at the moment," and Annette added: "We've just bought that Spanish beautiful stone cottage up on the top of a mountain."
Other British victims
Expat couple Pete and Fran Gillam have been confirmed as two of the bodies recovered. Their daughter Danielle Gillam-Kirton received a message from Fran on Thursday evening saying they were evacuating, but contact was lost. Danielle confirmed: "We are heartbroken to share that we have received confirmation from the police that Mum and Dad did not survive the fire." Other victims include a Spanish man and his British wife, a French woman, a Belgian man, and a 93-year-old British woman who died in hospital on Sunday, July 12.
Wildfire conditions
Blistering temperatures of up to 44°C, parched terrain, and fierce winds fuelled the flames that tore through the area on Thursday afternoon. The fires razed homes and forced evacuations, with authorities now focusing on identifying the deceased.
