BBC Radio 2 presenter Jo Whiley has announced the death of her father, Martin Whiley, in an emotional Instagram tribute. She described him as her "lovely Dad" who died on the day of the post.
Tribute to a devoted father
In her Instagram post, Whiley wrote: "My lovely Dad died today. He was 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 that she has her father to thank for her love of music, noting he used to walk around a building site where he worked as an electrician with a "huge ghetto blaster" and had an "unrivalled" love for Elbow, Coldplay, and Dido.
Previous Parkinson's diagnosis
Whiley had previously announced her father's Parkinson's diagnosis on her podcast. In the tribute, she spoke of his childhood that was "as sad as it gets," as he suffered from tuberculosis as an infant and grew up without parents. She said: "Knowing how it felt not to be cared for, he devoted his life to caring for others."
Condolences from celebrities
Many celebrity friends shared their condolences. Australian actor and singer Jason Donovan said: "Jo and family. Sending so much love to you all! What wonderful words and tribute to your Dad. Donovan’s." Fellow presenter Zoe Ball wrote: "darling Jo. I'm so sorry for your loss. your words and these photos paint such a picture of a wonderful man who loved his family with his whole heart. thinking of you and your mum, Frances and the kids and Steve. arms around you."
