Barry McGuigan's son chokes back tears as he dedicates London Marathon to late sister who tragically died from cancer
SHANE McGUIGAN dedicated his involvement in the London Marathon to his late sister Danika.
Actress Danika McGuigan
2
Danika McGuigan died from bowel cancer in 2019
2
Her brother Shane ran the London Marathon in her honour
She has been lovingly remembered every day since by her boxing legend dad Barry, and her boxing trainer brother Shane.
He completed the race with an impressive time of 3:08:17 while raising vital funds for Young Lives vs Cancer, the UK's leading charity for children and young people with cancer.
And speaking to the BBC after crossing the finish line of the London Marathon, he held back tears as he paid tribute to her.
He said: "My sister got diagnosed with leukemia at 11 to 13.
Read More on London Marathon
"She got through it and then she unfortunately passed away with bowel cancer at 33 so I'm doing it for her."
Asked if he had a message for those watching on and considering doing the marathon or any other form of exercise, he said: "Do it, go push yourself.
"I saw a lot of people unfortunately collapsing with dehydration and stuff, so within your limits, push yourself but go and do something.
"Go and challenge yourself.
Most read in Athletics
"Health and fitness is such a big part of people - it should be a big part of people's lives.
"You only get one body, you only get one life and there are plenty of people who are not able to move so go out there and move."
I'm A Celeb's Barry McGuigan breaks down in tears as he opens up about daughter's heartbreaking death live on GMB
Shane's dad earned plaudits from fans when he shed tears remembering Danika on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here last year.
And speaking to The Sun after he was voted off the show, the 63-year-old revealed
He told The Sun: 'It was the saddest thing that's ever happened to me and my wife. We'll never recover from that.
'I can't explain to you how sad it's been for us for the last five years.
'She was with me in there. She watched the show regularly.
'I probably wouldn't have got as far as I did without her being with me and I know she travels everywhere with me.
'I believe that 100 per cent. And we'll see each other again sometime.'
He added: 'I think about Nika all the time. She would have loved to have seen me on this show. She would have been so proud of me, I know that.
'I know she was responsible for me getting into this. I just know she was.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Why Helena and Harry's shotgun trip to The Hideaway means Love Island's rediscovered its sex factor
CALL me a voyeur, but I'm a 40-year-old, married woman who is hot under the collar at the idea lust is back on Love Island. The Sun told yesterday how two of this year's intake Advertisement 6 Blonde cabin crew Helena Ford enjoyed a sleepover in the Hideaway Credit: itv 6 Semi-pro footballer Harry Cooksley is now coupled up with another Islander Credit: itv It's even juicier because - officially - both blonde cabin crew Helena Ford and semi-pro footballer Harry Cooksley are coupled up with other Islanders. Of course it helps that both are cut straight from the Barbie and Ken mould, with matching abs, glowing tans and designer locks. So when I heard from my source that the pin-up pairing had snuck away on Monday to That's not because I get my kicks watching twenty-somethings frolic in a Majorcan villa - honest, Mr Cross. Advertisement READ MORE ON LOVE ISLAND It's because it was the early sign of promise that sex might just be back on Love Island after years of celibacy. Bold choice too far Let me lead you astray, back to 2015 when the ITV dating series first plunged a group of youngsters into a luxury villa and encouraged them to find, ahem, love. The series' main characters were John Lee and Hannah Elizabeth, who weren't afraid to get down to it in the communal bedroom. Despite Michelle and Stuart, then Makosi and Anthony engaging in a public PDA on Big Brother in 2004 and 2005 respectively, such bold antics felt entirely new to TV viewers and split the nation. Advertisement Most read in Love Island Comment But nothing prepared the pearl clutchers for what happened a year on. The entire cast let rip, with eight couples going all the way - usually in the shared bedroom - which was all fun and games until ITV bosses took two specific editorial decisions too far. Love Island fans spot clue islander is 'faking' claim he has never shared a bed with a girl Beauty queen Zara Holland was stripped of her Miss GB title after having sex with Alex Bowen in the Hideaway in 2016. The judges were said to have been particularly offended by a scene which saw her visibly enjoying the act. Advertisement Then, another late night scene showed Emma-Jane Woodham on top of It was a bold choice too far - even after the 9pm watershed - and viewers rushed to Ofcom. That was the end of sex on Love Island as we knew it and from then on, execs took the decision to instead show a shaking bedside lamp or tangled pair of feet. And in recent years the Instagram career-focussed cast and media trained Islanders have abstained entirely. Advertisement 6 Dejon and Meg have also locked lips 6 Helena has a three way kiss with Conor and Harry Only TV personality Joey Essex and his girl Jessy Potts succumbed last summer - and the only clue was a wobbling champagne bucket, as they cemented their union, artfully off shot. Advertisement But this lot don't seem to be as PR-focussed. Last night's episode, the third of this series, presented a lapdance, finger sucking, a string of snogs and even a three-way smooch. Tommy and Megan, Dejon and Meg, Shakira and Blu and throuple Helena, Harry and Conor have all locked lips. And the ep teased Advertisement Frankly, it's the green shoots of recovery the long-running series needs. The launch drew an audience of 1.4 million across all devices, which ITV proudly reported was ITV2's biggest show this year. But it represented a drop on last year's 1.6 million and was a far cry from its heyday when 6 million tuned in. As the series celebrates its tenth anniversary, there's still some love left for the format - all 11 series have been streamed a whopping 2billion times to date on ITVX. Advertisement This year's up-for-it cast could prove to be the Viagra the series needs. 6 Harry and Helena were in the Hideaway boudoir just 56 hours after meeting 6 Love Island's Shakira and Blu sharing a kiss The dating show genre has upped its game in recent years, with Rylan Clark's Dating Naked asking its cast to find love entirely in the nude. Advertisement And 12 innocents even explored popping their cherries on Channel 4's Virgin Island. But will Helena and Harry end up regretting their private night? Zara Holland, now 29, crown for being Love Island's most talked-about bonker after her beauty pageant scandal in 2016. After the series, she said: 'I regret massively having sex on the show. Advertisement 'If I could turn back the clock, I would. 'I know I didn't do anything illegal, I was twenty at the time, there's nothing to be ashamed of but yes, you know, it was the biggest regret.' Montana Brown's relationship with Alex Beattie only lasted a couple of weeks when they left the villa. Love Island 2025 full lineup : A 29-year-old footballer with charm to spare. : A model and motivational speaker who has overcome adversity after suffering life-changing burns in an accident. : A 22-year-old Manchester-based model, ready to turn heads. : A boxer with striking model looks, seeking love in the villa. : A payroll specialist from Southampton, looking for someone tall and stylish. : International business graduate with brains and ambition. : A gym enthusiast with a big heart. : A Londoner with celebrity connections, aiming to find someone funny or Northern. Ben Hullbra : A model ready to make waves. : An Irish actress already drawing comparisons to Maura Higgins. : A personal trainer and semi-pro footballer, following in his footballer father's footsteps. : A towering 6'5' personal trainer. : A 25-year-old Irish rugby pro : Love Island's first bombshell revealed as sexy Las Vegas pool party waitress. : Beauty salon owner from Devon who runs 12 aesthetics clinics, boasting a famous clientele including former Love Islanders Departures : : Axed after an arrest over a machete attack emerged. He was released with no further action taken and denies any wrongdoing. And Montana, now 29 and a mum of two, came to look back on their hour-long sex sessions during the 2017 series with regret. Advertisement She said: 'In hindsight, having sex on TV wasn't the best idea. My advice to the new hopefuls is not to do it. 'If I could have done it differently, I wouldn't have had sex. 'It's all everyone wants to speak about now.' While some regret having sex on TV just once, Kem Cetinay's remorse comes from the fact he had so much. Advertisement The 2017 series winner, now 29, spoke about his amorous stay in the villa with He said: 'Maybe I shouldn't have had as much sex as I did – maybe once or twice would have been enough. 'Now I've got a business and I've got staff, and if new recruits search for me, some of the first articles that come up will be about me having sex on TV.' There's plenty of Islanders who still love the fact they for lusty on screen. Advertisement It's as if people wanted me to be ashamed, but I'm not going to be. Megan Barton-Hanson Jess Shears, now 32, romped with Dom Lever on 2017's series and she reckons hooking up in the villa helped cement their relationship. They are now married with two children. She said: 'I don't regret having sex on TV as such, but it's a bit strange that the whole nation knows about it. 'No one normally knows about your sexual relations but then at the end of the day if that worked for Dom and I, I'm glad that we did because I'm still with him now.' Advertisement Kady McDermott, now 29, also didn't regret her on-screen sex with boyfriend Scott Thomas in the 2016 series. The couple even stayed together for 18 months after leaving the villa. She said: 'I personally don't regret having sex because it was with someone I was actually with and loved.' And Megan Barton-Hanson is another who has vocally supported pursuing a physical connection on the show after hooking up with Advertisement She said: 'There is still so much stigma around women even saying they enjoy sex, let alone doing it on national TV. 'When Wes and I were interviewed afterwards, I would always be asked if I regretted having sex on TV and if my parents were embarrassed. They didn't ask Wes. 'It's as if people wanted me to be ashamed, but I'm not going to be.' *Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX. Advertisement
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Race Across The World winners revealed as pair admit they failed to keep BBC show victory secret
IT was a tense sprint to the finish line in tonight's finale of Race Across The World. The final episode followed the pairs travelling from Goa, India, to the southernmost tip of India, Kanniyakumari, 1000km away. 3 The final four pairs were whittled down to one Credit: BBC 3 Caroline and Tom were crowned winners of the show Credit: BBC But after a 51-day cross-continent race, it was mother and son duo Caroline and Tom who took home the £20,000 prize. The pair, And it was an emotional moment for the duo, as mum Caroline broke down in tears on the big reveal that the all-important guest book was empty on their arrival. Celebrating their win, Caroline broke down in tears in emotional scenes, telling her son: 'We must never doubt ourselves, ever, ever, ever again.' more on race across the world Tom added: "I'm lost for words, I can't believe it. "Fifty one days racing through countries I never thought I'd go to. "I never thought we'd come this far, I never thought we'd achieve so much, and I've never been prouder of my mum – she got me through it.' Caroline and Tom were closely followed by sisters Elizabeth and Letitia, who arrived at the finish line just shy of 20 minutes later. Most read in TV Forty five minutes behind the winners, Fin and Sioned arrived in third place, while brothers Brian and Melvyn took a further three hours to reach the end. On their way home from the series, the duo revealed that while they had sworn themselves to secrecy about winning the cash, it didn't take long to spill the beans. Race Across The World pays heartbreaking tribute to show star Sam Gardiner after tragic death age 24 Caroline revealed: '[We told] my husband, in the car on the way home - we couldn't hide it!' Tom added: 'We had made a pact on the plane not to tell anybody, but within minutes of seeing him we let that one go, it was so hard to keep it in.' However, the mother and son duo still haven't decided what they're going to do with the cash. Tom concluded: "I haven't really thought about what I'm doing with the money yet. "I don't want to be stupid and waste it. Mum and I want to go backpacking again, so some of it will be used for that." The reunion episode of Race Across The World airs June 18 at 9pm on BBC One and you can catch up on all episodes on BBC iPlayer. 3 The duo will feature on a reunion episode next week Credit: BBC
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Tom Dunne: Rory Gallagher still rocking Cork 30 years after his passing
You will be hard pressed to avoid Rory Gallagher's presence in Cork this weekend. Thirty years gone but never forgotten. The main road in Cork airport is to be named after him, exhibitions at City Hall and the Library, a city-wide walking trail… it is as it should be. The consensus at this point is that he is Cork's finest cultural export and I wouldn't question that. Time spent in Rory's world is time well spent. It does the heart good. Rory rocked Cork and Cork rocks Rory. I met him twice. The first, when my band Something Happens made its first ever UK appearance in the late 1980s. As part of that magic trip, a very early days Ryan Air flight, a gig at Vince Power's Mean Fiddler, a night in the Columbia Hotel, we were invited onto the BBC. It was impossible to have seen any BBC output in those days without having also seen Broadcasting House, the BBC London headquarters. Situated between Oxford Street and Regent's Park, bombed twice in World War II, it seemed as iconic as the queen herself. It was the last place you expected to hear a Cork accent. But as we approached the doors that was what we heard. 'You an Irish band lads?' asked the voice. We turned and there he was, Rory Gallagher. Bold as brass and twice as good-looking. He asked how we were getting on, seemed genuinely excited that we had signed a record deal, enquired about Virgin, sang the praises of the Mean Fiddler, and wished us the best in our interview. We were gobsmacked, speechless, in awe. I hear his voice still. A few years later we got to play with him at the Lark by the Lee in Cork. We stood side stage to watch that most inspiring of all sights: Rory Gallagher, his 1961 Fender Strat and his Vox AC30 amp. The holy trinity of rock. A spinning dervish, the guitar speaking for him, saying what he couldn't. I still think of it. It comes with a whiff of imposter syndrome for us to have been on that same stage as him, but for him to have made time to talk to us that night at the BBC, the sheer generosity of it, is something I will never forget. I hope in the exhibitions, one of which Rory's Early Impact focuses on his early years in the Fontana Show Band (later The Impact) a light is shone, tangentially at least, on his mum, Monica. If a proper biopic is ever made, hers will be a key role. It was Monica who took Rory and his younger brother Donal to live in Cork when the children were very young. Rory already has his sights set on music and Monica promised to buy him a guitar if he settled in his new school. It was she who accompanied him to Crowley's music shop, then on Merchant's Quay when in 1963 he had his heart set on a Fender guitar. He'd hoped that when faced with Mick Crowley she'd weaken and buy him the guitar despite the exorbitant price of £129. But she stood firm. Jim recalled that once outside the shop there was a conflab and after it, Monica returned to ask if they ever got in any second-hand Strats. Mick told her it was unlikely. He'd only sold two or three such guitars and most people would keep them forever. What happened next is a fantastic reflection on the vagaries of the Irish showband scene at the time. When a member of the Royal Showband found that his new guitar clashed with the band's new suits it was the guitar got hocked and not the suits. Crowley's suddenly had a second-hand Strat. Mick made his way to the Gallagher's and left a message. Rory slipped out of school to examine the guitar and conclude 'Yep, that's the one!' He was back with Monica at 5.30pm to pay a deposit and negotiate a hire purchase. In his showband days, still a young teen and playing gigs while still going to the North Mon school, Rory fell foul of the teachers and was beaten for his long hair. Monica pulled him out of the school and deposited him at Saint Kieran's college, a co-ed on Camden Quay. Monica warned the new principle: 'My son is a musician…some mornings he will be late coming in.' It wasn't off the stones he licked it, as they say.
