Mark Wright has revealed the heartbreaking conversation he had with his dad when he thought he might lose him to Covid.
The former The Only Way Is Essex star shared Mark Wright Snr was ‘really sick’ after contracting Coronavirus during the pandemic.
At one point the family thought they might lose the now 65-year-old, but luckily he made a full recovery.
Sadly Mark Snr’s brother Eddie – Mark’s uncle and cousin Elliot Wright’s dad– died aged 66 after an eight-week battle with the virus in March 2021.
And the experience has prompted Mark, who is married to actress Michelle Keegan, to prioritise spending time with his family.
It comes as Mark, 36, and younger brother Josh, 33, are set to star alongside their dad in a new TV show.
A Wright Old Adventure, which airs on the BBC in June, will follow the lads as they travel around the UK.
Mark told The Sun : “I first had the conversation about making this during lockdown – just after my dad was really, really sick with Covid and lost his brother to Covid.
“He thought about end of life at that point. He slowed down and lost that buzz he normally has.”
When his dad recovered, it brought the family closer together and Mark decided it was time for them all to ‘reconnect’.
Although he admits he didn’t realise how open they would all be during filming the new show.
“I didn’t realise we were going to air the things we did – my dad bottles things up and my brother reveals things about how he’s been struggling and that was a first for him. It was a very moving moment for all of us,” said Mark said.
The former reality star, who has gone on to have a successful TV presenting career in the UK and the US, described the men in his family as ‘Alpha males’ who aren’t used to expressing themselves like that.
He added: “We’re always been close, but it’s reminded us we have to make time for each other. Me particularly, I’m always chasing my dreams and have probably been too driven. I need to make time for my family.”
Viewers tuning into the new show will see the Wrights go zip-wiring, go-karting, dog-sledging, waterfall-jumping and big-wave surfing from the coast to the Scottish Highlands.
Speaking about the show, Mark said: “I’m absolutely buzzing for this. At this stage in my life I want to do things I really want to do and love.
“I’m getting to travel the country, see places I would never normally have seen, take on adrenaline experiences, challenge myself (what I love to do most) and do all of this with two of my favourite people on earth. My two best mates: the bro and my dad. It’s a dream come true and I can’t wait to get started. It’s going to be one hell of a ride!”
*Watch A Wright Old Adventure on BBC and BBCiPlayer from Thursday June 8
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033
