Katy Rickitt, a familiar face on Good Morning Britain, is mourning the loss of a cherished companion. The journalist shared a heartfelt message on Instagram to announce the passing of her beloved dog, Daphne. Following her post, which included a touching photo montage of Daphne, Rickitt has been inundated with supportive messages from her followers. “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this but goodnight and god bless to our beautiful baby Daphne who passed away last night,” she expressed.

Rickitt revealed that although their older dog, Tallulah, had been seriously ill, it was Daphne’s sudden departure that has left them reeling. “She just got a stomach bug, we took her to the emergency vets because she stopped drinking ‘just in case’ … they said she was stable then she just had a heart attack. She was only 5, and the shock and sadness just feel unbearable right now,” she wrote, capturing the unexpected and heart-wrenching nature of the loss.

The journalist continued to express her regret, saying, “I’m terrified I saved the last kisses for T each night because I thought we had all the time in the world with Daphne, and now she’s gone, it feels like our hearts have been torn apart.”

Rickitt fondly remembered Daphne as “the most gorgeous little diva,” recalling her habit of barking for the sofa at 11 p.m., her love for Sunday cuddles, sunshine, and anything on wheels, as well as her penchant for food, both edible and not. “She twice came to do lives with me there and would then always try to get in the car when I left at 4 a.m.!” she reminisced.

She concluded her tribute with a poignant farewell: “Rest easy princess Daphne. Now you will always be happy and running pain-free in the kingdom of wobble. I hope we see you there. Goodbye beautiful girl xxx.”

The television presenter is married to Hollyoaks star Adam Rickitt. Her husband used to play Kyle Kenny on the soap and Katy even made a cameo in August 2023.

Their paths first crossed when Katy went to interview Adam in 2011. What was supposed to be a 30-minute interview turned into a five-hour conversation, as the pair hit got off so well with each other.

Adam later revealed to The Mirror that it was “love at first sight” for him and later rang his mum to tell her that Katy was the woman he was going to marry.