This Morning star shares emotional post on family death during lengthy break from show

This Morning star Craig Doyle has shared an emotional post to mark five years since his father Sean died after a battle with Dementia. The 53-year-old presenter made weekly visits to his dad at a nursing home in Ireland, before he sadly succumbed to his illness shortly before the Covid pandemic broke out.

While on a break from his ITV duties, Craig has taken to his Instagram Story to share a picture of him and his dad smiling during a day out. Captioning the post, he wrote: "Five years today. Just wanted to remind those who knew him of his wonderful kind face."

The presenter opened up about his dad's Dementia battle on the show last year as part of a series based on walking trips around Britain and Ireland. During the segment, he gave fans an insight into one of his favourite walks from Bray to Greystones and why it had a special place in his heart.

At the time, he said: "Ireland is well known for its luscious landscape and glorious coastline and although I have travelled all over the world for work, there is nothing like being back home in Co Wicklow."

As he looked over the sea in Bray, he told viewers the location “has something for everyone” and went on to explain that the walk up to Greystones always reminded him of precious moments with his late father.

While pointing to the Bray promenade, he said: "This bit is a particularly special place to me because when my dad was diagnosed with dementia, he was in a nursing home here.

"I was able to wheel him up and down this promenade and he could chat to people, and we got coffee and ice cream and it was really lovely happy memories of those days.”

Speaking on the YouTube series Unf!ltered last year, Craig struggled to fight back tears as he reflected on his final goodbye to his dad.

The presenter shared that every time he would visit his father's nursing home, he'd leave as if it was his last visit due to his deteriorating illness.

He recalled: "As he got sicker, I'd never know whether he was going to be alive when I came home.

"So, it got to the stage where almost twice a week I was saying goodbye to him.

"I might be going Gloucester to do a game, but I'd have a drive over even before COVID, you know, you'd be going, 'I'm off dad, I'll see you on Sunday'."

Craig then got emotional as he recalled those words finally being the last time he saw his dad before learning of his death.

The presenter has been on a break from hosting This Morning for a number of weeks, as he focuses on other commitments in Ireland.

After his last appearance on the show alongside Josie Gibson, fans expressed calls to see more of him.

On This Morning's Instagram page, one fan wrote: "I want these two to stay. Should have been Craig and Josie," while a second commented: "Love Craig presenting This Morning, wish he was presenting full time."

"Craig for Friday’s permanent presenter please," added a third.

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV and ITVX.