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.
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 dancing competition began.
Despite his father’s serious illness, Ugo was kept in the dark by caregivers in Nigeria to spare the family added stress during the pandemic.
He told The Sun: ‘They didn’t pass it on through fear and worry. It’s amazing what decisions people make to keep others at ease.’
Hearing the devastating news late, meant that Uno didn’t 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 kept in the dark by hospital workers to spare the family added stress during the pandemic (pictured as a baby with his father Theophilus)
Reflecting on the tragic passing, Uno explained how he found out his father had died when one of his brother’s called him whilst he was out celebrating a friend’s book launch.
The father-of-two began training for Strictly shortly after hearing the shocking news, then took part in his first dance, just hours after watching the funeral on Zoom, due to the travel restrictions to Nigeria.
Describing Strictly as a ‘distraction’ and a ‘release’, Ugo admitted he had no idea how he got through the night.
During his emotional Strictly performance, the rugby pundit danced a Samba to ‘Iko Iko (My Bestie)’ by Justin Wellington ft. Small Jam with professional dance partner Oti Mabuse.
At the time he told viewers: ‘So my dad passed away a couple of weeks ago, prostate cancer, and we had his funeral this morning.
‘During the funeral, they spoke about today being a day of celebration – and that’s exactly how today feels.
‘So there’s no better way of celebrating him by dancing. Tonight feels really special.’
After the performance, the judges praised Ugo‘s performance, and fans admired his courage and labelled him ‘brave’.
The star who was paired with professional dancer Oti Mabuse, dedicated his first dance to his father, Theophilus, who died of prostate cancer three weeks before the competition began
Ugo revealed how he watched his father’s funeral on Zoom just a couple of hours before his first live show, but that dancing for him was a ‘celebration’
Since his father’s passing, Ugo has expressed frustration that prostate cancer is highly treatable.
‘There is a cocktail of emotions,’ he told The Sun. ‘Any loss is sad, but knowing it might have been preventable lingers.’
Ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday, Ugo has emphasised the importance of regular health check-ups, noting that black men are twice as likely to develop the awful disease.
He has launched the ‘Know Your Roots’ campaign with GenesisCare to encourage families to share their medical histories to help catch an early diagnosis of the disease.
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 the cancer risks and preventions with his two brothers and wants his daughters, Phoenix and Ruby, to also be informed about their family’s medical history.
