I'm a Celebrity star Barry McGuigan left crushed by daughter's tragic death

I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is back for 2024 with a new bunch of celebrities heading for the Australian jungle.

The new series of the ITV show will see the likes of McFly singer Danny Jones, Strictly star Oti Mabuse and TV personality and football WAG Colleen Rooney compete to be crowned the jungle's new king or queen, undergoing some pretty gruesome trials and challenges along the way.

Representing the sporting world in the jungle this year is former boxing world champion Barry McGuigan. The 63-year-old also previously held the British and European featherweight titles and is a former winner of BBC Sports Personality of the Year as well as a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Since retiring in 1989, the Irishman has worked as a boxing manager and promoter, as well as a pundit for the likes of Sky Sports. He has also tried his hand at reality TV, winning the third series of Hell's Kitchen in 2007 before signing up for this year's I'm A Celebrity.

His appearance on the show will introduce McGuigan to a new group of fans, with his life outside of boxing set to be placed under the microscope. Here are a few things you might not know about the former boxer, from the devastating family tragedy he suffered to his allegedly 'toxic' relationship with another fighter.

Heartache over daughter's death

Tragically, McGuigan's daughter Danika died in July 2019 aged just 33, one month after being diagnosed with cancer, and the boxer says he will "never come to terms" with her death.

Danika, known as 'Nika', was the only daughter of McGuigan and his wife Sandra, who also share three sons together. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoid leukaemia when she was just 11 years old, undergoing two years of treatment.

However, she recovered from her illness and went on to become an actress, even starring in Jim Sheridan’s The Secret Scripture alongside Hollywood stars Rooney Mara and Jack Reynor.

But when the disease returned, Danika's life was cut short leaving McGuigan and the rest of the family devastated.

"It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our beautiful daughter and sister, Danika 'Nika' McGuigan," a family statement at the time read. "After a brief but brave battle against cancer, Nika passed away peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday 23 July, surrounded by her loving family.

"As a family we are devastated and ask for complete privacy during this difficult period to allow us to grieve for our Nika.”

In an interview with BelfastLive in 2021, McGuigan spoke of his heartache and admitted he would have had to give up boxing if the tragedy had happened during his career in the ring,

"I lost my daughter two years ago and it’s been shocking," he said. "I'll never recover from it. My life will go on but I’ll never be the same because family means everything to me.

"She was such a great kid. She had a tough life all her life. She had fever convulsions at nine months; she was dead on arrival at the hospital and they got her heart going again; she had leukaemia at 11, they said she would never get through it and she got through it.

"I get very upset about it. I try my best not to," he added. "I think, ‘I don’t want to cry again.’ But, yeah, tough. Very tough. If this had happened to me during my career, I could never have continued with that. I don’t know if I could have recovered from that as a fighter."

'Unifying' marriage

McGuigan has been married to his wife Sandra for over 40 years, with the two childhood sweethearts tying the knot in December 1981 when he was 20 years old.

Their marriage came during the tumultuous period of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and would hold symbolic importance as the boxer was a Catholic while his new wife came from a Protestant background.

"I remember feeling a responsibility to create a harmonious situation," McGuigan later told The Times. "I wasn't going to cause any more trouble and strife. I was a Catholic Irishman fighting for the British title; my wife was a Protestant.

"For the British title fight in 1983, I wanted to wear neutral colours, so I decided on the UN flag colours of peace. My dad sang Danny Boy, which became a unifying song. It was crucial that people who came to see me fight didn't feel threatened. I had amazing partisan support."

Together, the couple have had four children, including the late actress Danika. One of their sons, Shane, followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a renowned boxing trainer and has worked with the likes of David Haye and George Groves among others.

'Toxic' relationship with boxer

In 2020, McGuigan was involved in a multi-million pound legal battle with world champion boxer Carl Frampton, who he managed.

The two Irish fighters were previously close but their relationship broke down, with Frampton suing his former manager for alleged withheld earnings from big fights, claiming up to £6m against McGuigan's Cyclone Promotions UK Ltd. In a counter-suit, McGuigan claimed Frampton had breached his contract by quitting the organisation in 2017.

The case - in which both men denied any wrongdoing - was heard at the High Court in Belfast, before a settlement was reached. The court heard how the relationship between the two men had turned "toxic", with McGuigan's son Shane accused of "talking negatively" about Frampton.

"It was quite toxic," Paul Johnston, a manager at a boxing club where Frampton had trained, told the court. "The camp wasn't happy. There was an air of grievance or unhappiness with Carl. He wasn't a happy fighter."

"Shane started talking negatively. He said that he was finished," Mr Johnston added. "I was very concerned. This came from Carl's trainer and someone who was going to be in his corner the following night."

However, Mr Johnston's version of events were denied by McGuigan's barrister, who said Shane "has no memory of saying that to you and it wasn't his view either".