Strictly Come Dancing star Ugo Monye has revealed he attended his father’s funeral just hours before his first live appearance on the BBC show.
The rugby star, 41, who appeared on the show in 2021, dedicated his first dance to his father, Theophilus, who died of prostate cancer three weeks before the dance competition started.
Despite his father’s serious illness, Ugo was left in the dark by healthcare providers in Nigeria to spare the family additional stress during the pandemic.
He told The sun: ‘They didn’t pass it on out of fear and worry. It’s amazing the decisions people make to make others feel better.”
Hearing the devastating news late, Uno did not get the chance to say goodbye to his father before his death.
Strictly Come Dancing star Ugo Monye has revealed he attended his father’s funeral just hours before his first live performance on the BBC show
Despite his father’s serious illness, Ugo was left in the dark by hospital staff to spare the family additional stress during the pandemic (pictured as a baby with his father Theophilus)
Reflecting on the tragic death, Uno explained how he found out his father had passed away when one of his brothers called him while he was celebrating a friend’s book launch.
The father of two started trained for Strictly shortly after hearing the shocking news and then took part in his first dance just hours after watching the funeral on Zoom, due to the travel restrictions to Nigeria.
Ugo described Strictly as a ‘distraction’ and a ‘liberation’ and admitted he had no idea how he was going to get through the night.
During his emotional Strictly performance, the rugby expert danced a Samba to ‘Iko Iko (My Bestie)’ by Justin Wellington ft. Small Jam with professional dancing partner Oti Mabuse.
At the time, he told viewers: “So my dad passed away a few weeks ago from prostate cancer, and we had his funeral this morning.
‘At the funeral they talked about today being a holiday – and that’s exactly what today feels like.
‘So what better way to celebrate him by dancing. Tonight really feels special.”
After the performance, the jury praised Ugo‘s performance, and fans admired his courage and labeled him “brave.”
The star, who teamed up with professional dancer Oti Mabuse, dedicated his first dance to his father, Theophilus, who died of prostate cancer three weeks before the competition started.
Ugo revealed how he watched his father’s funeral on Zoom just hours before his first live show, but that dancing was a ‘celebration’ for him
Since the death of his father, Ugo has expressed his frustration about the fact that prostate cancer is easily treatable.
“There is a cocktail of emotions,” he told The Sun. “Every loss is sad, but the knowledge that it could have been prevented lingers.”
Ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday, Ugo has stressed the importance of regular health checks, noting that black men are twice as likely to develop the dreadful disease.
He has launched the ‘Know Your Roots’ campaign with GenesisCare to encourage families to share their medical history to help diagnose the disease early.
Research shows that most men are unaware of their parents’ cancer history, highlighting the need for better communication and awareness.
The rugby star added that he discusses cancer risks and prevention with his two brothers and wants his daughters, Phoenix and Ruby, to also be informed about their family’s medical history.