Ryan Thomas noticed a 'spooky' connection to his late father during the latest episode of ITV's Celebrity Deal or No Deal. While appearing on the programme with his brother Adam, the pair spoke to host Stephen Mulhern about a strange mascot they had brought with them.
Pigeon's tale
Picking up a fake pigeon on a soap dispenser, Stephen asked them to share more about it and why it was with them. Describing the story as 'crazy', the former Coronation Street star explained that it was regarding a family holiday they had during a stay in the South of England.
Ryan told the ITV host that he saw a pigeon at the back door, which he let in, although it ended up staying for around seven hours. He shared that a vet lived next door, so he rang to ask him to collect it and find its home, as it had a tag on its leg.
Mascot's meaning
Explaining that the following day the family were departing to return home, the vet contacted him to disclose the pigeon was from Manchester and enquired if he could transport it back with them, which they agreed to do. Letting it out when he got home, the bird was gone for 24 hours before it returned the next day at the back door.
The ITV star revealed: "It didn't leave for over a month!" They named the pigeon Dougie, after his late dad, as they then took the bird to see the racehorses their dad left them when he died. Ryan added that after that, he let him go and hasn't seen him again, although he is now left with a pigeon dispenser.
Spooky coincidence
While the audience and Stephen found the tale amusing, the actor was swift to spot another link to his dad. Calling it 'spooky', Ryan said that his dad's birthday is on the 14th, which was the same number box that his partner Lucy had. He commented: "That is weird! This is weird." Stephen replied: "Already a sign!"
However, when they opened the box, it was a red number which lowered their chances of earning big money for their charity. Tragically, the siblings lost their father, Dougie James, when he died unexpectedly towards the end of 2020 at the age of 72.
Deal or No Deal Celebrity Special is available to watch on ITVX.
