Linda McGarry has broken her silence on the sudden death of her son, George Gilbey.
The former Gogglebox star tragically died last Wednesday (March 27), at the age of 40. Police in Essex confirmed at the time that he passed away from a “workplace accident”.
Now, almost one week on from his sudden death, George’s mother Linda has chosen to speak out about her devastating loss.
In an interview with the Clacton and Frinton Gazette, Linda spoke of her heartbreak.
“I’m devastated, he was like my best friend. He had the best heart in the world. He was generous, funny and kind, with bundles of charm and buckets of personality. He did more in his 40 years than people do in 90 – he’s even had dinner with the Prince of Dubai,” she recalled.
“He was crazy, but after coming out of showbiz, he couldn’t get his life back together. He just couldn’t get over the death of Pete,” she noted, referring to George’s stepdad, who passed away in 2021 after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.
“I have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and George took it worse than me. He was a mummy’s boy," Linda added.
“He came to celebrity over night but didn’t really want to be – he was just normal. But it allowed him to do charity work and anytime anyone contacted him about charity work, he prioritised it,” the 74-year-old detailed.
George rose to fame with Linda and Pete back in 2013, when they first featured on the Channel 4 hit Gogglebox. The trio appeared on the show together for seven series, before George stepped down in 2018.
“He was a stay-at-home dad after Amelie was born. He was such a good dad,” she added, referring to George’s seven-year-old daughter, whom he welcomed with his ex Gemma Conway.
Describing Amelie as being George’s "absolute world", Linda concluded: "He was smart, which allowed him to be quick-witted and he was loud and outgoing, but at the same time very sensitive. He helped others, but he struggled himself."
