Jo Whiley broke down in tears as she discussed the heartbreaking final moments she shared with her father before he passed away. The BBC Radio 2 DJ revealed on Monday evening that her beloved father Martin had died aged 86 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.
Before sharing the sad news, Whiley recorded an emotional episode of her Dig It podcast with Zoe Ball, where she opened up about saying goodbye to her dad.
Rapid Deterioration
Explaining how quickly his condition deteriorated, the 59-year-old said: "I haven't had the best week, Zoe, I'll be honest with you. It's been quite a tough week." She revealed her dad, who had Parkinson's disease, became seriously unwell shortly after she had visited him.
"I went and saw my mum and dad and it was really clear that my dad wasn't very well, but we weren't quite sure what was wrong," she said. "He was moving very slowly, he really wasn't all there."
Whiley received a phone call to say her father was "talking nonsense" before he was rushed to hospital. Doctors later confirmed he had suffered a "massive bleed on the brain".
Final Goodbyes
Jo praised the "amazing" ambulance crew and NHS staff who cared for him before revealing there was nothing more doctors could do. Tearing up she said: "He's not going to get better, so everyone's been and said hellos and goodbyes."
Whiley said one of the biggest lessons she'd learned was to keep talking to loved ones, even if they appear unconscious, but admitted the "hardest thing" was watching his grandkids say goodbye. The star explained: "They say hearing is the last thing to go, so we've had some really nice conversations talking to him." She admitted those final conversations were far harder than she'd ever imagined, saying: "Everyone got time with him on their own and it was really really important. And you do say those things that you've never said."
Miraculous Moment
The broadcaster also recalled a touching moment when her sister Frances, who has genetic disorder cri du chat syndrome, asked her dad to say her name, and miraculously he did. "There was this really loving moment when she was leaving the other day and it was when he was on the cusp of consciousness and she was going 'say my name, say my name!' And he actually said the word 'Frances'. It was lovely, it couldn't have been better."
Towards the end of the podcast, recorded before Martin's death was announced, Whiley reflected: "By the time this goes out, he may not be here with us. All I want is for him not to be suffering." On Monday evening, Whiley confirmed her father had died, paying tribute to him in a heartfelt statement shared on social media.
