Mr Motivator has announced that his young granddaughter, 12-year-old Hadassah, has passed away following a five-day battle with meningitis.
The iconic TV fitness instructor, 67, revealed that she passed away during the early hours of Thursday morning.
The GMTV star, who is known formerly as Derrick Evans, said that Hadassah had passed away in Antigua, where she lived with her mum.
Hadassah’s mother, Caroline Evans Charles, is his oldest daughter and supported her young daughter through her battle with meningitis.
In a statement, he said: “It’s not meant to happen like this. The circle of life dictates that parents and grandparents go first.
(Image: Handout)
“You are not supposed to bury your child or your grandchild. We have to fight on no matter what.
“I want to remind everyone to tell your loved ones every day how much you love them.”
Hadassah has left behind her three siblings as well as her two parents and grandparents.
Mr Motivator’s wife, Sandra, as reportedly flown to Antigua to be with her family and Derrick himself will join her as soon as he can.
(Image: Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
Derrick first found fame as Mr Motivator in the early 90s and became well known for his neon lycra outfits and upbeat personality.
He was also awarded an MBE in October 2020 as part of the Queen’s postponed birthday honours list.
This was due to his services to health and fitness after creating regular online home exercises for fans during the coronavirus lockdown.
(Image: @scottygb/Twitter)
During the pandemic, fans saw Mr Motivator return to their screens with more exercises and vibrant outfits.
A clip of him in a shiny suit was aired on Channel 4’sGogglebox where the cast marvelled at how he hadn’t changed much over the years.
Like many viewers watching, the Gogglebox cast also joined in with his exercises and praised him for making a TV return when the nation needed it the most.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
