GOGGLEBOX favorite George Gilbey’s devastated mother said tonight that his last words to her before his tragic death were: “I love you.”
Devastated Linda McGarry – on Channel 4’s show with George – said the father of one, 40, called her hours before he fell 20ft from the roof of the warehouse where he was working.
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George Gilbey’s devastated mother reveals her last words before she died were: ‘I love you’ Credit: Twitter
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Heartbroken Linda was emotional as she spoke for the first time since the tragedyCredit: Ian Whittaker
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George died trying to earn money to be closer to his daughter Amelie, his devastated mum has revealed Credit: Ian Whittaker
Linda, 74, from Clacton, Essex, said: “He was happy. The call ended with ‘I love you’. I appreciate those words.”
George died trying to earn money so he could be closer to his daughter, his devastated mum has revealed.
Linda told how he desperately wanted to help raise his beloved seven-year-old Amelia.
Speaking for the first time since the tragedy, a devastated Linda (74) said: “It was an honor for him to be my son. We’ve been looking forward to it for 40 years.”
READ MORE ABOUT GEORGE GILBE
Linda said he was forever fussing over her after she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s – but he was struggling financially and battling his own demons.
She told how the night before his death he was at a relative’s house, but he called her on the fateful day.
She recalled: “He called me at 9.30 in the morning and said he was working — and asked me for his ‘breakfast money’.
“I put £30 into his account so he could get food and he seemed fine.
“He had a drink the night before and would have liked a bottle or two of white wine, but he was happy to be working. He ended the phone call by saying, ‘I love you’ as he usually did. I appreciate those words.”
George — who paid £100,000 for his stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014 — was most recently living with Linda in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.
Gogglebox fans in tears as Channel 4 show pays emotional tribute to George Gilbey days after his death
He received a carer’s allowance of around £190 a month following her diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
And Linda revealed he was working when he died to raise money to move closer to Amelie, who lives with her mum Gemma Conway in south-west London.
She said: “George was trying to raise money to get a room.
“He was going to rent from his friend, Skippy, near Amelia in Twickenham.
“George was on great terms with Gemma and wanted to do things like pick Amelie up from school.
“He wanted to be with Amelie, whom he adored.
“They were on the third day of a job that was supposed to last a month, and he was supposed to collect money from it.
“When they were together, George and Amelie were always laughing. She will be terribly missed, as will all of us.”
George was repairing the roof at the EGL Homecare warehouse in Shoebury, Essex, when he fell 20 meters to his death on March 27.
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George recently lived with mum Linda in Clacton-on-Sea, EssexCredit: Ian Whittaker
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Mum Linda and stepdad Pete on Gogglebox with George Credit: Channel 4
An investigation was opened and then suspended. A man in his forties was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and released under investigation.
Linda — who ran to the scene with a friend after being told the news — said: “When I got that call it was horrible.
“It didn’t seem real and we ran to the spot, thinking he was still alive. They stopped us from entering and sent us to the hospital.
“The police met us at Southend Hospital and told us he had failed. I kept thinking it wasn’t real, and I still feel it isn’t.”
He was happy. The call ended with ‘I love you’. I appreciate those words
Linda McGarry
Linda said she feared George – who started working as a roofer when he left school aged 15 – died because there was no safety net.
She said: “He was upstairs fixing the roof. He had apparently landed on a weak piece of roof and there was no netting. I don’t think it was safe.
“I think it was instantaneous and I hope he wasn’t hurt.”
George rose to fame on Gogglebox in 2013 but left to appear on Celebrity Big Brother.
However, he then blew a lot of his money and was hit hard by the loss of his father Jim who was 75 in 2017.
He also struggled after stepdad Pete, 71 — who appeared with him on Gogglebox — passed away in 2021, and was then rocked by his mum’s diagnosis.
JURĐEVSKE BORB
Linda said: “When George went on Celeb Big Brother I was so proud of him.
“He got a lot of money from it, but he spent it within three months.
“He went to Dubai and also went out clubbing, partying and gambling here. He was an ordinary boy and always thought that something else would come. But he returned to normal life and indeed had his problems.
“George liked to have a bottle or two of white wine and drank a bottle of wine almost every night.
“But a lot of his struggles were related to the loss of his father and then Pete and my diagnosis.
“When Pete died, he was devastated and cried all the time.
“Pete became a father figure in his life. He was diagnosed at six months old, and then three weeks later he was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
“So nobody had time to come to terms with it. George then took my Parkinson’s diagnosis worse than I did.
“He would fuss over me, change my sheets and do my shopping.
“He kept nagging me to remember to take the pills. George was very kind and had a heart of gold.”
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A beaming George laughs with his beloved motherCredit: Ian Whittaker
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George rose to fame on Gogglebox in 2013 but left to appear on Celebrity Big Brother
George met Gemma at Ascot in 2014 and Amelie arrived in 2016. He then returned to Gogglebox before leaving again in 2018.
That year, George was convicted of domestic violence after an argument with Gemma at their home in Twickenham.
He was serving a community sentence when he was caught driving under the influence of alcohol in 2019 and imprisoned for three months.
George was due to get his license in November and hoped to find work as an electrician.
George was very kind and had a heart of gold
Linda McGarry
Linda said: “The incident with George and Gemma was forgotten and they were on great terms.
“Gemma gave a wonderful speech at the funeral and promised Amelie on his behalf. And George deeply regretted his drunk driving.”
Linda was encouraged by the collection for George’s funeral, which raised more than £7,000.
She said: “The funeral was fantastic – I’ve never seen anything like it. There were 400-500 people there.
“We told Amelie we’d throw a party to celebrate George’s life, and we did.
“My George will never be forgotten. Everyone had a story about him, and he was one in a million.
“I’m so happy I had him.”
He was holding my hand together in the last picture
HIDDEN Linda wept as she held the last picture of her and George – of them holding hands as she sang karaoke.
George, 40, was out with his 74-year-old mum on Saturday March 23 – four days before he died.
The image shows the love affair between the couple at Oakmead Social Club in St Osyth, Essex.
Linda said: “I was up there singing My Little Red Book and he came to join me — he was like that. I looked back and he was holding my hand.”
Linda also recalled George’s eccentric side.
She said: “Everyone has a funny story about him.
“He was a bit angry. Last year he found a dead baby seal washed ashore near our house.
“He brought him back to the house saying, ‘It’s not fair, he got hit by a speedboat or something’.
“He wanted to call the RSPCA and rescue him.
“But there were flies all over the place and I saw it was dead – so I made him take it back!#
“Another time, a friend invited him to a barbecue and told him to bring a bottle.
“So he took a bottle of cooking oil. Gemma used to say ‘he always fell into a pit of snakes and came out in snakeskin boots’. But unfortunately not this time.”
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Source: newstars.edu.vn