Barry McGuigan has revealed the reason why he got so far on I’m A Celebrity was because of his late daughter, Danika, as ‘she was always with me in there and I know I’ve made her proud’.

The former featherweight boxing champion, 63, was the seventh star voted out of the jungle alongside Love Island’s Maura Higgins, 33, in a shock double vote off.

But that wasn’t before he captured the nation’s heart when he opened up about his never-ending grief about losing his daughter aged 33 to colon cancer in 2019.

Speaking to MailOnline, Barry showed his detailed tattoo of Danika’s face, a tribute to her, and said: ‘She travels with me everywhere.

‘It looks like she has a spot at the moment but that’s just because I have a rash from all those bloody cockroaches. I’m sure she would have been laughing about that.

‘But no, I know she watched the show regularly, I knew she was with me in there. I probably wouldn’t have got as far as I did without her being with me, I know that she travels with me everywhere. I believe that 100 percent, we will see each other again some time.’

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Barry McGuigan has revealed the reason why he got so far on I’m A Celebrity was because of his late daughter, Danika, as ‘she was always with me in there and I know I’ve made her proud’

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During his time in the jungle, the boxer spoke about the actress’ passing, who lost her battle with cancer in 2019 aged 33 (pictured in 2008)

Speaking about the bond he formed with McFly’s Danny Jones, Barry revealed they first met, the boxer thought ‘you belong with me’ and the frontman ‘cried his eyes out’ when he told him about Danika.

Becoming emotional, Barry said: ‘It’s the saddest thing that’s ever happened. I can’t explain how sad it’s been for me and my wife Sandra. I think about Nika all the time.

‘She was responsible for me getting into I’m A Celebrity, I just know she was because she loved the show. We watched it together every year.

‘I remember when Jill Scott won it, Nika had just died and I just thought Nika would have loved Jill.

‘Losing her five years ago is a heartbreak we will never get over.’

Barry captured the nation when he opened up about his grief on the second day in camp.

The boxer revealed Danika struggled with her health from a young age, after being diagnosed with leukaemia when she was just 11 years old.

Barry told the camp: ‘[Danika] had leukaemia, when I was making the boxing with Daniel Day Lewis.

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Barry said he felt Danika’s presence in the jungle and was spurred on to do well in the trials to make her proud

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Barry said: ‘She was responsible for me getting into I’m A Celebrity, I just know she was. When Jill Scott won it, Nika had just died and I thought Nika would have loved Jill’ (Jill pictured in 2022)

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Barry looked stylish as he scrubbed up for his first photo shoot post jungle exit on Friday

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The star beamed in snaps as he wore a casual white shirt and grey shorts

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Barry captured the nation when he opened up about his grief on the second day in camp

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Fans dubbed the ’emotional’ moment the ‘most moving in I’m A Celeb history’ as all the campmates broke down in floods of tears while supporting Barry

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Danika, who worked as an actress, passed away surrounded by her ‘devastated’ family. The boxer revealed Danika struggled with her health from a young age (pictured in 1994)

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Barry is pictured alongside his wife Sandra, one of his sons and his daughter Danika

‘Three weeks from the end I had to leave because she’d been diagnosed with leukaemia.

‘They thought she wasn’t going to get better but she fought back and she won it. She had two years of chemo.’

As he began to cry campmates gathered around with Danny Jones and Tulisa offering a hug, as Barry gushed: ‘Thank you, you’re all so lovely, I really appreciate it.’

Danika was posthumously awarded an IFTA for her role in Wildfire.

She had previously overcome leukemia as a child, but succumbed to a more aggressive form of cancer later in life.

On August 2, 2019, Barry shared an old photo of himself and his daughter, paying an emotional tribute to Danika.

He wrote: ‘The most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do was to say goodbye to my amazing daughter Nika earlier this week.

‘She has been a shining light in our family’s lives for the past 33 years.

‘Nika was an extremely talented and inspirational young lady who radiated kindness and love.

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Barry looked in great spirits after being evicted from the jungle during Thursday’s episode

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The star was voted out alongside reality star Maura Higgins

‘Our hearts are broken and we know that life will never be the same again for us.

‘However, Nika lives on in so many parts of our lives which we are grateful for.

‘I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who sent flowers, cards, Mass cards, Instagram messages, Facebook, Twitter, texts and email messages of condolences and support.

‘There are simply too many to answer individually so I want to use this opportunity to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you, the family greatly appreciate them.’

The father-of-four lives in Kent with his wife and childhood sweetheart, Sandra Mealiff.