TOWIE's Kirk Norcross tells Loose Women panel about the moment he found body of his dad Mick

21 Jan 2022

Lancs Live

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TOWIEs Kirk Norcross tells Loose Women panel about the moment he found body of his dad Mick

'It was surreal. It was like my life ended but I had so much to do at the same time'

Kirk Norcross has spoken out for the first time on TV since his father took his own life last year.

His dad, Mick Norcross, who rose to fame on The Only Way is Essex - or TOWIE - as the owner of the Sugar Hut nightclub, was discovered in his basement on January 21 last year.

The 57-year-old entrepreneur was born in Haslingden and moved to Blackburn where he lived until he was four. It was at this age that he moved to Essex with mum and dad Margaret and Bernard Norcross.

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An inquest into his death ruled he had died by suicide.

Sitting down with the Loose Women panellists this week, Kirk has now said he has suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder after his dad's death, experiencing flashbacks of the moment he found his father.

With the anniversary of his death today, Kirk said it has been “the quickest year and the slowest year ever”, Mirror reports. He said he still doesn’t think he has come to terms with his dad’s death, noting that lockdown “really affected” his diabetic dad, who was forced to shield from the coronavirus.

Kirk said: “I can't stress to people - you've got to tell people how you feel. He was old school. He worked in the docks in the 60s and 70s and I believe that era in men, [they think] it’s a weakness.

“I live next to my father, I was with him the night before. That morning, I was having my breakfast, and he did what he usually did, which was take a bit off my plate. And he was fine. He actually gave me his next business strategy and I was like, ‘Brilliant, if that’s what you want to do.’ That afternoon he killed himself.

“I was indoors, having my lunch and I got a call from my dad’s partner saying, ‘I can’t find your dad.’ And I don’t know why, even though I saw him that morning, I knew what had happened. We knew he was in the house, he’d locked himself in the house. I knew he was gone though, I knew the minute I saw him.”

Former TOWIE star Kirk Norcross on Loose Women (Image: ITV)

Kirk struggled through tears as he described smashing the door of his father’s house and giving him CPR inside.

Kirk said: “It was surreal. It was like my life ended but I had so much to do at the same time. What would my dad have done in that situation? Once I gave him CPR and I knew it was done, I just laid with my father and told him it’s time to rest.”

Kirk has described his dad Mick - who had four children - as his “best friend” and hero and has urged others to speak out if they need support. Kirk says he is now determined to ensure others don’t suffer in silence like his dad tragically did.

He opened up about his own suicide attempt years ago, saying: "I didn’t think I had a purpose then.”