The BBC Morning Live team have paid tribute to regular Dave Marsh, father of presenter and actress Kym Marsh, following his death from prostate cancer on Friday.
Dave previously appeared on the show alongside former Coronation Street star Kym in his quest to raise public awareness of the disease after being diagnosed in 2021.
Kym’s father had appeared on Morning Live during Men’s Health Week to urge men not to hesitate to undergo prostate examinations as he continued to receive treatment for an advanced form of the condition, which had spread to his bones.
Recalling Dave on Monday morning, presenter Helen Skelton broke down as she compared spending time with Dave to ‘spending time in the sun’.
“(He was) the warmest man, who constantly made people laugh,” she told co-host Gethin Jones. ‘I could tell story after story.
Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones were near tears as they paid tribute to fellow presenter Kym Marsh’s father Dave Marsh on Monday’s edition of BBC Morning Live
Dave previously appeared on the show alongside former Coronation Street star Kym in his quest to raise public awareness of the disease after being diagnosed in 2021.
“I once caught him singing to a hotel receptionist; she had worked a twelve hour shift, she had had a rough day and everyone at the reception is singing to her – why? Because he made her day great.’
The show also included a montage of Dave as he battled the disease, which affects one in eight men and kills more than 12,000 men every year.
In a post to the Morning Live
‘Sadly, Dave lost his battle with the disease on Friday, so we want to share his story and keep his legacy alive, and encourage men with symptoms to get tested.’
Jones and Skelton also read out a personal message from Kym, a presenter on the show, thanking viewers for their support.
“My family and I would like to thank This Morning Live viewers for the continued support they have shown to Dad and us since his diagnosis,” it said.
“He was extremely proud of the work he did with the show to raise awareness of prostate cancer and the importance of getting it checked. He wanted to try to break the taboo and was so happy when he received letters.
“He had so many viewers who had seen his story and visited their doctor as a result.
Jones and Skelton also read out a personal message from Kym, a presenter on the show, thanking viewers for their support
Kym with dad Dave at The Sun Military Awards in February 2020, a year before his diagnosis
“Dad was an incredible man who left a lasting impression on everyone he met. He was kind, loving, funny and very quick-witted. Even in his last days he told jokes and tried to cheer us up.
“He was the best father, grandfather and great-grandfather my family could have asked for, and we are all heartbroken by his passing.”
Former Coronation Street actress and Hear’Say singer Kym has spoken about her father’s prostate cancer a number of times since revealing he was diagnosed in 2021.
“It is with enormous sadness that we confirm the passing of David Marsh,” a statement from the Marsh family said.
“David, a much-loved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend to many, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, surrounded by his family.
“We are truly heartbroken and ask for privacy during this incredibly difficult time.”
In 2021, Kym took a long break from presenting BBC show Morning Live, later revealing that she suffered from anxiety attacks and sought help for her mental health amid her father’s prostate cancer diagnosis earlier that year.
She appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, and when she became the tenth celebrity to be voted off the BBC show, she said she wanted to make her father, who had been undergoing prostate cancer treatment in hospital, happy.