Ben Fordham breaks down in tears on-air as he reveals family member has tragically died
Speers #Speers
Ben Fordham broke down in tears live on 2GB radio on Thursday while announcing the death of his father-in-law Ross Speers.
The distraught host, 44, told listeners: ‘I wanted to share with you some personal news, and that is that my wife Jodie’s dad, Ross, passed away on Tuesday night.’
‘Ross has been battling cancer for a number of years. It’s been really bad for a few months, and in the last few weeks he’s been in palliative care and he’s been looked after tremendously,’ he sobbed.
Fordham, who shares son Freddy, six, and daughters Pearl, four, and Marigold, one, with his Channel Seven presenter wife Jodie, confirmed that Ross had ‘said his goodbyes’ to the family, including his grandchildren, before passing away.
He went on to describe the moment Jodie came home with the heartbreaking news her father was going to die.
‘When Jodie came home on Tuesday afternoon it was clear from the tears streaming down her face that he didn’t have long to go,’ he said.
‘My children were amazing because my daughter Pearl ran up to Jodie and gave her a massive hug. My little girl Goldie, who’s only a baby, she knew what was going on because she just started saying “Papa”, which is what they call him.’
Ross, a structural engineer who who worked on the cauldron at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, had endured several rounds of chemotherapy before his death.
Describing his late father-in-law as a ‘great bloke’, Fordham continued: ‘He’s got all sorts of achievements to his name as far as his work is concerned, but it’s really the bloke he was that’s the standout.’
Fordham ended the segment by sharing a heartfelt tribute to Ross.
‘We love you, mate, and thank you very much for being a great father-in-law to me,’ he said.
The family tragedy comes almost two years after Fordham’s own father, John, passed away from cancer at the age of 75.
