Gogglebox’s Kerry Milligan has opened up about the death of her mother Emmie.
In a piece written for the Daily Telegraph, Kerry said the pair had a bond from the very start and she used to wag school so she could stay home and watch midday movies with her mother.
When Kerry’s dad left when Emmie was 50, the pair became even closer.
“She had such an open and cheeky attitude that everyone thought we were sisters, especially on the beach in our bikinis,” she wrote.
The 67-year-old said Emmie had been by her side through all of life’s ups and downs including the birth of Isabelle, a miscarriage and a divorce, and when she turned 87 her mother moved in with her.
“Mum and I had an arrangement that if either of us brought a fancy man home that we would leave out a note to that effect,” she wrote.
Kerry explained that about three years ago she started to notice some changes in Emmie and soon she needed to move into a facility with 24/7 care on hand.
“It was two and a half years between diagnosis and her death but in the end it was her tired old heart that gave up,” she said. “The night she died we lay with her and listened to her favourite Dolly Parton songs.”
The family announced that Emmie had passed away at 96 in July.
“Our Emmie, waited for me to come home for one last snuggle. Her last words ‘I’m ready to hang up now’,” Isabelle wrote, alongside a beautiful portrait of Emmie.
“She was 96, an orphan, a nurse, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, the oldest woman on TV, a great grandmother, an author and so much more. Thank you for loving her as much as we did and will forever. Have a big rest now — you deserve it.”
The ‘Silbery family’, comprising of Emmie, Kerry and Isabelle, first appeared on Gogglebox in 2015.
In 2022, it was announced that Emmie would no longer be appearing on the show due to her dementia diagnosis.
“We are sad to announce that Emmie won’t be joining us on the couch for Gogglebox Australia this season,” the family posted on Instagram at the time.
“It’s been a very challenging time for our family and we’ve had to make some difficult decisions. Emmie has been diagnosed with dementia and we wanted to be transparent about this as many families experience it.
“Emmie will be watching and rest assured she’s happy and being cared for.”
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