DIY SOS star Jason Liversidge has died at the age of 47 after living with motor neurone disease (MND) for ten years.
The father-of-two appeared on the hit BBC One show, hosted by Nick Knowles, in 2015. The team transformed his house to make it more accessible.
He died earlier this month, on August 5, and his wife Liz announced the sad news on Facebook.
She wrote: “Jason Liversidge died peacefully at home surrounded by his girls at 22.59 on the 5th August 2023. Thank you for being the best husband and father that we could ask for.
“You will be forever young and remain alive always in our hearts and minds. We love you! Fly free my love.”
Breaking records with MND
Jason was first diagnosed with MND in 2013. Seven years later he broke a Guinness World Record by reaching speeds of 65 mph in a motorised wheelchair. Not only that, but he also climbed Snowdon in a wheelchair, and abseiled off the Humber Bridge in Hull.
Liz said about his record at the time: “It was really nerve-wracking watching him trying to break this world record, but mainly because I was watching him wondering if it was fast enough. It was also a really cold day, and because he’s immobile he gets very, very cold quite quickly so we weren’t sure he was even going to be able to do it.”
In 2017, a personalised synthesiser was made for Jason, who had difficulties talking due to his condition. The Anne Rowling Clinic, based in Edinburgh, made what’s thought to be the first-ever synthesiser with a regional accent – Jason’s Yorkshire accent.
Jason told the BBC at the time: “It’s going to make the world of difference, as I know it’s me and therefore it’s a daily reminder of what I sounded like.”
Nick Knowles pays tribute to ‘lovely man’
DIY SOS host Nick paid tribute to Jason on Twitter earlier today (August 17).
He replied to a tweet from a fan about Jason’s passing and said: “Very sad – lovely man – wonderful build – thoughts with the family at this time. ” Nick added a red heart emoji to his post.
DIY SOS making a difference
Meanwhile, last month, the DIY SOS team helped transform the house of a disabled mum in Northern Ireland.
Mandy McCreight was isolated in her bedroom due to a number of medical conditions. Meanwhile, her children also had mobility problems. Her husband was struggling to look after everyone after getting a back injury himself.
The show’s Mark Millar returned to his hometown of Bangor to transform the house. He described the project as the “proudest moment” of his career.
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