DIY SOS Reece
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DIY SOS: ‘Brave’ Reece has viewers sobbing as he addresses grief of losing sister

Nick Knowles and the team were in Scunthorpe this week

By Nancy Brown

DIY SOS star Reece had viewers in tears last night as he spoke about losing his sister in a tragic accident at home.

During Thursday (November 19) evening’s episode of the popular BBC programme, host Nick Knowles and the team were in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire to fix up Reece’s family’s home.

At the start of the episode, his mum Caroline explained how she and husband Paul had daughter Natasha not long after moving in, and a few years later welcomed Reece.

DIY SOS: The Big Build featured Caroline and her family (Credit: BBC)

What happened on DIY SOS: The Big Build?

However, when Natasha was seven years old, she was in the garden with her dad and wanted to have a go of a motorbike. Paul told her to wait while he fetched a helmet for her from the house – but she drove the bike without him.

Caroline explained: “She didn’t stop and just went straight into the garage. Paul ran after her and picked her up and she was like, ‘I’m alright, I’m alright, I’ve not done anything’. She went into the hallway and had a massive seizure in her dad’s arms.”

Reece’s sister, Natasha, died after a motorbike accident (Credit: BBC)

Natasha went into surgery and specialists tried to save her from a severe bleed on the brain. There was nothing they could do, though, and family decided to take her off life support.

Read more: DIY SOS: Nick Knowles ‘fat-shamed’ during Children in Need special

Caroline said: “Paul couldn’t stay with her, he couldn’t cope, so I laid with her and she passed away in my arms.”

DIY SOS explained how dad Paul struggled to cope with the grief of losing his daughter (Credit: BBC)

Speaking on DIY SOS, young Reece said: “When my mum and dad came home that day, everything had changed, there weren’t any stories before bed or anything.

“I would just stay inside and play my Xbox all day. If I was going to cry, I would come upstairs and lock myself away so my mum wouldn’t see me upset.”

Caroline eventually gave birth to another baby girl, Paige. But unfortunately, the grief had already taken a huge toll on Paul’s health.

A few years following Natasha’s death, he died from a massive heart attack.

DIY SOS viewers praise ‘brave’ boy Reece (Credit: BBC)

What did DIY SOS viewers say about Reece?

On Twitter, viewers’ hearts broke for Reece as they praised his ‘bravery’ and ‘resilience’ in the face of such horrific tragedies.

One said: “What an amazing @DIYSOS tonight. Sobbing buckets. Hope Caroline, Reece and Paige enjoy their home #diysos.”

Reece is a such a credit to his mum and dad… my heart is done tonight.

Another wrote: “Every week, every blinking week. Crying like a baby. Reece has just done me in. What a lovely young man. #diysos.”

A third put: “Watching Reece on #diysos breaks my heart. Unfortunately that feeling of wanting [his dad] around will never disappear. Ever.”

Read more: Dad who touched DIY SOS viewers after he was left brain damaged in brutal attack dies

A fourth tweeted: “How [Caroline] is still functioning, I’ll never know. Reece is a such a credit to his mum and dad. My heart is done tonight, I’m a mess.”

Someone else wrote: “So #diysos always gets me but tonight absolutely ruined me. What an incredible family who have borne such loss. Reece is an absolute credit to his family, an amazing young man. And Caroline, the mum – you deserve every happiness.”

https://twitter.com/FionnualaMinto/status/1329523611082887169

– DIY SOS: The Big Build continues on Thursday (November 26) at 8pm on BBC One

What did you think of last night’s episode? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know.

Nancy Brown
Associate Editor

Related Topics

BBC DIY SOS Nick Knowles