Gabby Logan says her world 'came crashing down' after heartbreaking family tragedy
The TV host and former athlete has spoken of her heartbreak after the loss of her younger brother, Daniel, when she was just 19 - saying that she ran away from her grief
TV presenter Gabby Logan has opened up about the profound effect her brother's death had on her during her youth.
Gabby was just 19 and an inspiring rhythmic gymnast when she was shattered by the loss of her 15-year-old brother, Daniel. Speaking to the ainslie + ainslie Performance People podcast, she revealed that in the aftermath, she tried to outrun her sorrow instead of confronting it, leading to an eventual breakdown.
Now 52, Gabby recalled hitting rock bottom around the first anniversary of Daniel's passing, coinciding with her university exams. Sleepless nights and a sense of instability led her to seek medical advice, where she was prescribed sleeping pills - a solution she instinctively rejected.
She said: "I was running around running from my grief probably and then by the end of my first year at university, so just around the time of his first anniversary I had some first year exams and it all kind of came crashing down.
"I'd stopped sleeping properly. I felt very wobbly, I just kind of lost my balance and I went to see a doctor and he gave me some sleeping tablets and I thought 'That's not what I need'.
"Even I knew that's not the answer to what was going on, it was much deeper than that, it was the plaster and my dad had had a lot of problems with sleeping tablets. He said 'Don't take those, that's not a good route'."
Her father, Terry Yorath, himself a former professional footballer, advised against the medication, having battled his own issues with sleeping pills. This pivotal moment made Gabby realise the necessity for counselling, a step she chose to pursue.
Despite facing a tremendous personal loss, Gabby carved out a successful career for herself first in athletics and later in broadcasting. She's become more open about her experiences in the latter, particularly during her recent discussion on the Mid Point Podcast with BBC Radio 5 Live's Rick Edwards, where she revealed the emotional impact of presenting harrowing news stories.
Gabby shared her own emotional struggle on her podcast with Rick, saying: "I remember the last time I filled in on 5 Live Breakfast, I remember coming away and feeling really sad, that day some terrible things had happened (on the news).
"I rang Kenny and said 'I don't know how people do this every day' because you do take on a lot in those three hours."
Rick reciprocated with his own insights into the emotional toll of breaking news reporting, reflecting on his time at Radio 5 Live covering world-altering events.
He shared a particularly tough experience: "When I first started (on Radio 5 Live) I don't think I realised that I was taking stuff on. But I did when Russia invaded Ukraine.
"After a few weeks of that, it was obviously horrendous and I just had a sort of moment where I was like I feel really sort of really, really down and I couldn't quite figure out why and then it just sort of clicked. Well, it's that, it's quite relentlessly bleak."
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