Heartbroken Barry McGuigan opens up about daughter’s death on I’m A Celeb

Irish boxer Barry McGuigan broke down as he spoke about his late daughter Danika

The boxer tragically lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer in 2019. She was only 33 years old.

Speaking to his fellow campmates, McGuigan broke down in tears as he reflected on his daughter's health battles.

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— I'm A Celebrity... (@imacelebrity) November 18, 2024

He explained that Danika, also known as Nika, was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when she was a child.

Barry shared, "I used to go to church a lot but after my daughter, not so much. I used to go incessantly but when you lose a child..."

Barry McGuigan is an inspiration to so many men, young and old, who may be struggling with their mental health and feel lost.

If a hardened boxer can express his feelings, so can you #ImACeleb

— Mike Kavanagh (@MikeRobinKavs) November 18, 2024

"I've tried to talk about it... Those horrible weeks in the hospital, just watching her. It was shocking."

"She had leukaemia, when I was making 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 did, she fought back and she won it. She had two years of chemo. But she was good."

the chat about grief 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 we honestly do not talk enough about it. major props to barry mcguigan for sharing and being so openly vulnerable. tulisa’s right — it takes strength #ImACeleb

— em (@swiftscheetah) November 18, 2024

Nika was then diagnosed with cancer as an adult in 2019. Doctors confirmed she had bowel cancer, but she sadly passed away five weeks later on July 23rd 2019.

Barry added, "She had stage four bowel cancer and five weeks later, she died. She suffered so much pain and she said "Mum, I can’t hold on."

Viewers have been praising Barry for discussing grief in such an open and public way. There's no doubt he will help others discuss their own heartache.

As heartbreaking as it was, his vulnerability will show people that there's no shame in their emotions or grief, no matter how long ago the loss was.