Mark Wright’s grandfather, Eddie, died at the age of 92.
A spokesperson for the former TOWIE star confirmed the sad news to MailOnline on Tuesday, explaining: ‘Mark’s grandfather passed away last night. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones.’
Eddie, a former boxing champion and paramedic, was hospitalized last June after a fall, and the family rushed to be by his side.
Mark’s father, Big’ Mark Wright, shared a photo of his father on Instagram at the time and wrote: “Happy Father’s Day to the best, unfortunately in the hospital at the moment after a fall a couple of days ago, But dad, I’m on my way.” Until I see you now stay strong xxx’.
Eddie had been part of the Wright family spotlight over the years, notably joining his grandson Mark in the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? in 2019.
Family History: On the contrary, he discovered that his father’s side of the family descended from an East End boy, for whom he eventually discovered he had a lot of respect.
Eddie, a former boxing champion and paramedic, was hospitalized last June after a fall and the family rushed to be by his side.
TOWIE star Mark revealed that his grandfather was his motivation for taking part in the show, explaining:
‘I have always wanted to know our family history, since my grandfather has always guessed where we are from. But no one has ever known.
‘They told my family that we were Italian and to be able to give it back to them is fantastic. He has done a lot for us, he is our king.
“It’s hard to repay him, but this was the moment before it’s too late.”
Mark discovered a lot about his father’s family during the course of the show, as he told viewers how Eddie grew up in London’s East End.
‘My great-great-grandfather was an east end boy. He was a bit of a thief, but everything he did was to support his family.
He had eight children who lived in a small house in East Ham. In the end I saw the good in him. He lied about his age to get into the army and was a great soldier.
Mark also expressed his love for Eddie during lockdown, fighting back tears on his Heart Radio show as he read messages from listeners missing their families.
“That message from Grandpa got me, I miss my Grandpa so much, Grandpa Eddie, I love you so much and I can’t wait to see you soon,” he said.
Mark’s sad news comes ten days after he revealed he is expecting his first child with wife Michelle Keegan.
Radio and TV star Mark and actress Michelle shared the happy news that they are expecting their first child on December 29 in a sweet Instagram post.
Netflix star Michelle cradled her burgeoning baby bump and wrote: ‘2025 will be special for us…’
The couple received hundreds of congratulatory messages from friends and family on their Instagram post, including Rochelle Humes, Kelly Brook, Vicky Pattison and her best friend Arg.