DIY SOS star has viewers in tears as he discusses daughter's heartbreaking death

16 November 2023 , 22:51

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DIY SOS legend Billy Byrne has opened up about the tragic death of his daughter, who passed away at the age of 20 from cancer (Image: BBC)

A DIY SOS legend has opened up about the tragic death of his daughter.

Billy Byrne - who has been on the show alongside host Nick Knowles since its very start back in 1999 - took part in the Children in Need episode this evening, where the team and their volunteers were tasked with helping build a new space in Risley.

The team were working on a special project for Treetops Hospice in Risley, Derbyshire to help build a new set of therapy rooms. The hospice has been helping adults with life limiting conditions, as well as their families, but now they want a special space which is just for the bereaved children who have lost their family members and parents.

Nick Knowles led the Children in Need special this evening (BBC Children in Need/Neil Sherwood)

At the top of the show, Billy opened up about the loss of his own daughter Emma, who had passed away several years ago when she was just 20-years-old. Billy choked up as he opened up about his family's tragic loss and how it affected them all.

Speaking to Nick about his own family's loss, Billy explained how something like this would have helped his own family. He said: "The reason I get, as I do, emotional, we lost our daughter Emma but she had three sisters. If they had something like this they could have actually shared it with other people who were in the same position as they were. Inside them, they couldn't let it out. And at a bereavement place, you can talk let it out and meet people who have been in the same position as you."

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Nick then asked Billy about his own response to what happened, saying: "It took you 20 years to really get some counselling?" to which Billy admitted: "It was so relieving, talking. It was just a hard time but we're doing things for other people and that's good."

The completed building for Treetops (BBC Children in Need/Neil Sherwood)

Billy has spoken about his daughter's death before, and in an episode in 2020, he explained: "You’ve got to accept that she was part of our lives for 20 years. Let’s talk about the 20 years that she was great and happy. We can stop shedding tears – but it’s hard."

Tonight's episode of DIY SOS featured a brave boy whose brother was murdered and best friend died of cancer. Speaking about what Treetops did for him, he explained: "I went on and off to Treetops for a few years and it did take a lot of persuading for me to stick with it. I didn’t want help, I wanted to stay angry as I didn’t know how to be anything else. Counselling allowed me to have something for a long time I thought I’d never have again - a smile. It saved my life."

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Jasmine Allday