Shirley Ballas has shared a heartbreaking tribute to her late brother after she celebrated his life with his daughter and mother.
The head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, 62, lost her beloved brother to suicide in 2003.
On her brother's anniversary today, which marks 19 years since his tragic death, Shirley shared a heartbreaking Instagram post in remembrance of her big brother, David.
Alongside a poignant picture of Shirley standing next to her mum with a picture of her late brother in between them, the Strictly Come Dancing star opened up about life after the loss of her beloved brother.
Another photo saw Shirley cuddling her niece, David’s daughter, and her mum as they celebrated David's life together ahead of Christmas.
Shirley’s heartfelt tribute read: “On the 5 th of December all those years ago. My dear brother decided to take his own life. To this day I’ll never be free of ‘What could I have done more.’
“Dearest David time goes so fast where have the years gone, you are missed on a daily basis. Talked about often and never forgotten. We celebrated your life yesterday, your daughter Mary, your mum and me. Still so difficult that you are not here. But I’m sure you would be so proud of Mary in so many ways.
“I’ll continue to work for @calmzone to help others like you a constant reminder to always watch out for those who are feeling low. Love you so much David you are always in our hearts. Continue to R.I.P.
“Anyone out there with thoughts of loneliness or any other dark thoughts please reach out #calm to all, let’s be vigilant on checking in on our loved ones and friends this December and always.”
Shirley's heartfelt post has garnered much attention, with fans praising the Strictly star for raising awareness about depression and suicide so close to Christmas - a time which many people find extremely difficult.
Shortly after David's death, the mother of his daughter Mary died of alcoholism, so Shirley took in Mary and raised her as her own child.
Shirley often gushes over how proud she is of Mary, and how she turned out to be such an amazing young woman given the tragic loss of both her parents.
“Her mother died of alcoholism a few years after her father so she really had it tough,“ Shirley previously explained.
“At first she kept picking the wrong men but now she’s got the most wonderful partner. She’s a forensic scientist for the NHS. I couldn’t be prouder of her.“
“Thank you for this Shirley. This is brave and amazing and I'm so sorry for your loss. Your niece has turned into a beautiful young woman and I'm sure her dad would have been so proud of her,“ one fan penned.
“This is heartbreaking. Sending all my love your way,“ another echoed.
“Mary is beautiful. I'm sure her dad is looking down on her every day,“ someone else added.
While a fourth fan commented: “So sorry for your loss. Thank you for all that you do. This made me sob, I'm not going to lie.“
*If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
