Channel 4 Gogglebox star’s daughter makes heartbreaking Christmas wish: ‘For daddy to come back’
The eight-year-old daughter of late Gogglebox star George Gilbey has made a heartbreaking Christmas wish in a letter addressed to Santa.
Amelie Gilbey is also the granddaughter of the Channel 4 reality show legend Linda McGarry, 74, whose fan favourite husband Pete also passed away in 2021.
George Gilbey tragically died in March this year aged just 40 after falling through a warehouse skylight.
He was often seen lounging on the sofa and reviewing the week’s TV with his mum and late step-dad in the incredibly popular programme.
The former Celebrity Big Brother star left behind his young daughter, who is now preparing to face her first Christmas without her beloved father.
“She’s done her Christmas list and it will break your heart. It says, ‘You can forget all of that if you bring my daddy back’,” McGarry explained to The Mirror.
The 74-year-old shared another touching moment: “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.’”
Also missing at Christmas will be McGarry’s husband who sadly died after a short cancer battle in 2021.
“Pete was a lovely man and I was so lucky to have him for 25 years… He was my life,” McGarry told The Sun at the time.
The difficult period for the Gogglebox star also led to her own health struggles.
Linda McGarry, 74, has faced her own health battles in the aftermath of losing her son, suffering a “full-blown stroke” three months after George’s death.
“I’m so lucky that my friends were here and they got me to the hospital,” she told the Mirror. “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.”
The grandmother, who also battles Parkinson’s disease, was rushed to A&E after being unable to speak during a phone call with a friend.
“I had tubes down my throat – it was horrible,” she recalled of the ordeal to Ok! Magazine.
Despite her health challenges, Linda remains determined to stay active, finding solace in karaoke, which she says helps with her Parkinson’s symptoms.
In the wake of their losses, the family found comfort during a summer holiday to Lanzarote with Amelie and her mother, Gemma Conway.
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“It was perfect for Amelie. We went a whole week without crying in front of her. I promised her that it’s going to be our special place,” McGarry shared.
She maintains a close relationship with George’s ex-partner Gemma, noting: “George still loved Gemma until the day he died. If Amelie ever played her mum up, he’d say to her, ‘You’ve got the best mum in the world, so do as you’re told.'”
Amelie now visits her grandmother at least monthly for weekend stays.