Mark Wright has joined his sister Jessica in posting tributes to their late grandfather, who died on Monday January 6.

The TOWIE star’s grandad, Eddie, had spent time in hospital after a fall last June, and never regained full health – and tragically, his death means he will never get to meet his great grandchild. Mark has been supported by pregnant wife Michelle Keegan as he battles his grief.

Heartbreakingly, the tragic news comes just days after Michelle posted a photo of herself and Mark on a beach, as she cradled her baby bump and wrote: “2025 is going to be a special one for us… ” Meanwhile, Mark expressed his feelings with a short but poignant message online declaring: “No better than you grandad”, to which Michelle replied with a string of red heart emojis.

The world had a glimpse of exactly what made Eddie special to the family when he appeared with Mark on the BBC genealogy show Who Do You Think You Are? Together, the pair had retraced their family tree in front of the nation – and the late boxing champ and paramedic had made his personality known.

With a statement provided to MailOnline earlier this week, it stated: “Mark’s grandad passed away last night. He passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loved ones.” Mark’s sister Jessica hasn’t held back, posting a huge carousel of family photos on Instagram as she reflected on how the Wright family patriarch had enhanced her life.

She shared: “If only I could cuddle you & feel you cuddle me back so tight again. Losing you grandad has broken my heart all over again.

“From the day I met you, there was no doubt you would be my best friend. If you look up the words ‘legend’ & ‘hero’ in the dictionary, it would say Grandad Eddie & everyone knew it which makes me immensely proud,” she continued.

“They simply do not make them like you anymore & that’s a fact. Your kindness, generosity, caring ways with your beautiful smile & undeniable love for your family will live with on forever. You set the tone for men all over.”

She added that it “meant the world” when he’d given her away at her wedding to businessman William Lee-Kemp at a Majorca castle, and thanked him for allowing her to live with him when she was “a little girl”.

Jessica also expressed gratitude that he’d help her pen a letter to BBC’s David Jason when she was younger, which never got sent and now remains in a “memory box” which she will “treasure forever”.

She unveiled that they used to binge watch Only Fools and Horses box sets together, with her sitting contentedly on his lap, when she was a child.

Jessica reminisced that he’d laugh at the jokes even after hearing them many times.

She also recalled him “splashing water in my face when I wouldn’t wake up, playing cowboys in the kitchen over & over even though you must have been so bored of it, taking me to school every day & picking me up & actually getting me in on time, which shocked everyone”.

“Muchas gracias grandad for everything. You were our family & it will never be the same without you. Love you more than words can say grandad. Lovely jubbly. See you again some day, can’t wait for another cuddle.”

Gemma Atkinson took to Instagram to offer condolences, while former TOWIE co-stars Ferne McCann and Gemma Collins chimed in, with the latter describing him as “a very handsome man”.