I'm A Celeb star's tearful plea as fans rush to support him after daughter's tragic death

Barry McGuigan took part in I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2024. The former professional boxer, 64, opened up about the tragic death of his daughter on the ITV programme. Actress Danika McGuigan died five weeks after being diagnosed with bowel cancer on July 23, 2019, aged 33. In a tearful admission Barry took to X on Sunday to thank fans for their messages days after he marked the anniversary of her death. Fans rushed to support him after he shared a heartfelt tweet.

Barry penned: "So many fabulous messages of condolences for our beloved daughter Nika. Our family are grateful for all you beautiful messages." In an earlier post he accompanied the post with a picture alongside his daughter, writing: "It was 6 years yesterday that we lost our precious daughter Nika. You are loved and missed so much Nika." Fans rushed to support the former boxer as one said: "Thought are with you and your family today my mate." Another tweeted: "I watched Barry on I'm a Celebrity and he broke my heart. What a lovely kind genuine man he is. Thoughts and lots of love to you and your family today Barry."

A third penned: "Sending thoughts and prayers for your beautiful daughter Nika. 5 years gone is a loss no parent should have to deal with."

A fourth said: "Mate we're all crushed at your loss. No one ever gets over the loss of a child, only eventually comes to terms with it at best."

"Sorry for your loss sir, it must be so difficult," a fifth added.

Another shared: "I hope you are ok. We all love you."

Danika had played Danielle in BBC Three comedy Can't Cope, Won't Cope and appeared in several films.

In an emotional conversation, Barry told his jungle campmates on the ITV reality show about how she originally recovered from leukaemia as a child after two years of treatment.

"She had leukaemia, when I was making the movie The Boxer with Daniel Day Lewis, three weeks from the end I had to leave because she'd been diagnosed with leukaemia, they thought she wasn't going to get better but she fought back and she won it," he said.

"She had two years of chemo, she was good, she came back."