BBC Radio 2 star Jo Whiley has announced that her father Martin has died aged 86 following a battle with ill health. Shortly before sharing the sad news, the presenter broke down in tears as she revealed he had been taken to hospital after suffering a bleed on the brain.
Following several days under medical care, Martin was moved to a ward where he was being "kept comfortable".
"He's not going to get better and so everyone's been to say hellos and goodbyes," she began to explain to her co-star Zoe Ball on their Dig It podcast, before breaking down in tears.
Offering support, a tearful Zoe interjected: "Oh darling, just saying those things out loud, it's really tough."
Emotional final conversations
Jo went on to say the "hardest thing" had been seeing how upset the children in her family were as they watched their grandad become unwell.
"They say that hearing is the last thing to go, so we've had some really nice conversations talking to him," she shared. "The first time I saw him, we were trying to get a reaction from him, we were trying to read signs about whether he could hear us and he was responding initially, which was wonderful, and everyone got time with him on their own.
"It was really important for it to just be us alone. And you do say those things that you've never said," she added.
Jo went on explain that her father "never wanted to talk about feelings or emotions", adding he would often shut down such conversations.
"So, it was kind of funny because there was nothing he could do to stop us from telling him how much we loved him," she added.
Father's final moments
Later in the podcast, Jo struggled to hold back tears again as she recalled her father saying the name of her sister Frances, who has a rare chromosomal disorder called Cri du Chat, while he was on the cusp of consciousness.
"And she keeps saying, 'Daddy said my name' and it was lovely, it couldn't have been better." Hours before the release of the podcast episode, Jo announced that her father had died.
In a lengthy tribute shared on her Instagram page, she described him as "the kindest man, who lived solely to make others happy."
"He was supremely selfless and loved nothing more than caring for others and making people laugh," she added.
She continued: "Being the father of someone with learning disabilities in the 70's meant that life has had its challenges but Dad has been such a force for good in the LD world simply by embracing & loving everyone with a difference. So many great singalongs at the Rockin' Roadrunner with Dad on the mic," she continued.
"He may have had the saddest childhood but he triumphed by giving me, Frances, and his grandchildren the happiest childhoods anyone could have dreamt of. He was the greatest Dad and he was everybody's favourite Grandad, but especially to India, Jude, Cass and Coco [her children] who adored him."
