Gogglebox star George Gilbey’s daughter’s heartbreaking plea to Santa-Lillie Rohan-Entertainment – Metro

George Gilbey’s daughter has made a heartbreaking plea to Santa (Pictures: Instagram/George Gilbey)

Where most kids ask for the latest toy or tech release for Christmas, the late Gogglebox star George Gilbey’s daughter has asked for something truly shattering.

The Channel 4 and Celebrity Big Brother star heartbreakingly died at 40 years old in March while working on the roof of a warehouse in Shoeburyness.

Leaving behind his eight-year-old daughter, Amelie, whom he shared with his ex-girlfriend Gemma Conway, the star’s loss has resulted in a devastating letter to Santa.

In a recent interview, the late star’s mum, Linda McGarry, revealed Amelie has been having a difficult time since losing her dad and, as a result, asked Santa this year if he could ‘bring my daddy back’.

‘She’s done her Christmas list and it will break your heart,’ Linda told OK! Magazine. ‘It says, “You can forget all of that if you bring my daddy back”.’ 

Despite the tear-jerking message, Linda revealed Amelie has a sweet way of coping with her father’s death: ‘They had a Daddies Day [at school] and a girl was crying because her parents had broken up and Amelie said, “My daddy’s always with me everywhere I go. He’s in my heart”.’ 

Linda lost her husband and son within three years (Picture: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for St Joseph’s Hospice and Haven House Children’s Hospice)

George died in a ‘freak’ workplace accident in Essex after falling 80 feet through a skylight.

At the time, an air ambulance was called, and medical professionals did the best they could to try and save him. However, he was pronounced dead at the scene with a coroner’s report stating his fatal injuries were ‘consistent with a fall from height’.

Following an investigation into his death, a man was arrested and later released, while a second was released on bail in relation to gross negligence.

George’s death left a gaping hole in his family, with Linda sharing in a statement soon after his passing: ‘I’m devastated, he was like my best friend.’

Linda has been rewatching Gogglebox to help remember her son (Picture: Jude Edington)

Amelie says her dad is always in her heart (Picture: Instagram / George Gilbey)

‘He had the best heart in the world. He was generous, funny and kind, with bundles of charm and buckets of personality.

‘He did more in his 40 years than people do in 90 – he’s even had dinner with the Prince of Dubai.’

She continued: ‘He was crazy, but after coming out of showbiz, he couldn’t get his life back together. He just couldn’t get over the death of Pete.’

George’s stepdad Pete died aged 71 in 2021, shortly after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Two people were arrested in relation to George’s death (Picture: Ian West/PA Wire)

Prior to her son’s untimely death, Linda had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and, just recently, suffered a stroke, which she believes was a result of stress and heartbreak.

She told the magazine: ‘I’m so lucky that my friends were here and they got me to the hospital. On the tests, they couldn’t find where it had come from, but I think it’s the shock of George. There’s no bigger stress than what I went through.’

Linda also confessed she has been watching old episodes of Gogglebox that she and George filmed together to help remember him.

It’s unclear what Linda and her granddaughter will do to remember their beloved son and father this Christmas, however it’s clear he is still close to their hearts.

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