Latest news with #DavidRich
Daily Mail
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Strictly's Shirley Ballas honours late brother David with moving tattoo tribute - 21 years after his tragic death
Shirley Ballas has honoured her late brother David with a new tattoo in his memory. The Strictly Come Dancing judge's brother David died by suicide aged 44 in 2003, and the ballroom star, 64, has spoken openly in the past about how he struggled with depression. On Saturday, Shirley took to Instagram to share her heartfelt tribute with fans, posting snaps of her meaningful new ink. The tattoo features the first and second initials of David's name, along with his surname, 'Rich'. Beaming for the camera, Shirley proudly held up her arm to show the new design on her forearm. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Shirley, who volunteered for Tal Booker's 24-hour tattoo marathon in support of suicide prevention charity CALM, captioned the post: 'A tattoo for my brother… thank you @talbooker ❤️. She added: 'Honoured to be tattoo number 2 of 24 in your #TattooAThon. You can donate any amount to Tal's Tattoo-A-Thon here: or by clicking the link in my bio. Every donation counts. Hugs. X' In December last year, Shirley revealed she 'blames' herself for her brother being alone the day he died because she encouraged her mother to come to a show her son was in. Speaking on the Great Company with Jamie Laing podcast, Shirley told how her brother had been struggling with his mental health, and the family had previously tried to get him sectioned, but he wouldn't go to the hospital. She said: 'I was wrapped up in my life, because at that time, I had two other children I was taking care of, plus my own son, and they were all dancers, and I was just wrapped up in my world of ballroom dancing. 'I was in London. He was up north, and my mother went to stay with him for six weeks. But my mother's old school, and they don't share. 'So, what I should have done then, if I look back now, is gotten the car straight away and gone to see the situation for myself. He was just in a bad place. 'He explained it like being in a dark, black hole that he couldn't climb out of. He'd lost a lot of weight, and the doctors couldn't help him. 'We tried to get him sectioned, and when, apparently, I wasn't there, but my mum was. When they took him in the car and they pulled up to the hospital, he recognized somebody that was stood on the steps, and he was too he was the macho man on the housing estate, and he was too embarrassed, he made them turn the car around. 'So had she not been there that day, then maybe things could have been different. And it just nobody talked about things like that. No one talked about things like that at all, and they just popped in with pills, you know, like these antidepressants.' Shirley recalled how her son Mark was performing at St. Paul's in London and she invited her mother and brother down for the day to watch him. David, who lived with his mother at the time, didn't want to go but Shirley said she encouraged her mum to come along by herself anyway. Shirley said her mother didn't want to go but she 'pushed' her and will 'live with that' for the rest of her life. She said: 'I still remember the morning it happened. I call my mum to say that Mark, my son, would be performing at St Paul's church in London, and maybe they both like to come down for the day. 'And my brother said, no, no, no, no, I'm feeling much better now. But you go mum, and against her better judgment, she didn't want to go. 'And I pushed her to go a little bit because she'd been there, you know, and was having this tough time. David didn't want to go, and it was that they chose to do that. 'So, for that, I will live with for the rest of my life. She blames herself, but I blame myself because I was the one pushing her to go. She felt she shouldn't have left.' Shirley tried contacting David later that evening and couldn't get through to him so called his former partner who went around to his house and found him. She said: 'He left a 10-year-old daughter, and of course, I couldn't get hold of him that night, so I called his ex-partner, and she went round, and she was the one who found him at the house with her son. 'And then, of course, she died of alcoholism several years later. So, Mary lost both parents, so we've taken care of her. And she is, to me, she's a hero. 'She's the most remote. She works for the NHS, and she's the most remarkable human being ever again, similar to me, you can play the victim, or you can think, this is what it is. Of course, it's difficult. This is what it is. And I want to be this person. 'I have a short life, and this is what I want to be. This person should never give me a spot to bother ever in her entire life. So, and my brother raised her for the first 10 years of her life, so I think he did a good job.' Shirley feels she is now a lot more educated on mental health issues and makes sure to check in on friends she hasn't heard from lately. She said: 'It doesn't need to be that way, though. You know, now, of course, I'm much more educated, and that's what was so great about Strictly, I love the job, but the platform it gives you to help people you know, and we get wrapped up in our own life, but if I don't hear from a friend or I think somebody's struggling, I then stop everything I'm doing, and then I will go around and sort of do my best to try to check in. 'And I think that's what we can do, is we have to be more tuned in, listen more to what people are saying instead of yapping off that gob. 'You know, a gob is that in the north thing. Gob, gob, gob, gob. Because that's what a lot of people do. They're so busy talking about themselves, they don't take a breath to listen to somebody else.' 'I think that we're in a new era now where people are more sharing. I mean, now I'm an ambassador for Calm. So many people. I mean, I've just had friends who've lost their daughter. She was in her early 30s, and it's just horrendous. 'I know so many people in different realms that have been affected by it. They know a friend or a family member or a child or something, and it's more prevalent that perhaps people have time to think about, but I think if we all would communicate more with each other and help each other a little bit more take a breath. 'You know, I'm always trying to do that now as I'm getting older, just take a step back for a minute and breathe. You know, have a look at what's going on around you.' If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit
Forbes
25-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Here's What Common ‘Check Engine' Problems Will Cost To Fix, Data Shows
Today's cars and trucks are literally rolling test beds of technology, which has tended to make the days of the so-called shade tree mechanic and eyeball diagnoses of what ails a given model a distant memory. Fortunately, most vehicles on the road have the means to alert the driver when there's something wrong. This is via an important warning light that either looks like a car's engine or spells out 'Check Engine' that stays illuminated on the instrument panel after the vehicle is started. It usually indicates there's a problem, most often with its emissions system, though it could mean there's a more serious problem lurking under the hood. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to diagnose the problem, as a technician can simply plug an electronic OBD (onboard diagnostics) scanner into the port to determine what's wrong. Many auto parts stores offer this a free service, though usually with far less sophisticated equipment. Unfortunately, many motorists simply choose to ignore an active check engine light, especially if the vehicle isn't exhibiting any specific mechanical issues. Still, experts urge motorists to have the underlying problem resolved in a timely manner, both to maintain the vehicle's fuel economy, but to prevent what could blossom into a much costlier repair needed down the road. According to CarMD's just-issued annual Vehicle Health Index, this year's most prevalent check engine repair – replacing a catalytic converter – will now cost an average owner $1,348, which includes parts and labor. The least costly fix on the list is a loose, damaged or missing gas cap, which can cost an average $28 to replace (zero to tighten), and is one of the few easy automotive D-I-Y repairs remaining. We're presenting the website's list of the most common check engine problems, symptoms and their average costs to rectify below. Car MD also reports that a auto-repair labor charges are on the upswing in three of the four U.S. regions, largely because the repairs themselves are becoming more complex and time-consuming to execute. And while parts costs dropped by an average of 5% over the past year, most are imported from other countries, especially China. That means there's a likely chance they'll skyrocket in the months ahead depending on when, how and if President Trump's trade tariffs take hold. 'The check engine light is designed to come on when a vehicle's on-board diagnostic system sees a problem that impacts emissions or drivetrain issues,' said David Rich, CarMD technical vice president David Rich. 'With uncertainty about how tariffs will impact replacement part prices, it's particularly important for drivers to address their car's dashboard warning lights. Catching problems early can reduce the likelihood of a snowball effect from additional repairs.' Additionally, the study confirms what would seem obvious to anyone who's had to drive an old 'beater,' namely that a burgeoning fleet of older vehicles (now up to an average 12.6 years old) are succumbing to costlier and more severe check engine maladies than newer cars. For example, CarMD reports that this year's most common check engine repair – replacing a catalytic converter – is a fix that's usually relegated to older cars. The Fine Print: CarMD's annual Vehicle Health Index is based on an analysis of over 31 million failures and recommended fixes for check engine-light issues over the past calendar year. This data is gleaned from each vehicle's onboard diagnostic systems codes, as validated by the website's network of technicians. The 10 Most Common 'Check Engine' Problems And What They'll Cost To Fix: Problems are noted along with their identifying symptoms and national average parts and repair costs; charges will vary due to local parts costs/availability for specific models and prevailing wages for auto mechanics: Source: The full report can be found here.
