The Mid-Point with Gabby Logan podcast sees Reuben join his mum

Gabby Logan lost her beloved brother Daniel when he collapsed suddenly and died at just 15 years old – and she was terrified that history could repeat itself when it came to her son Reuben, now 18.

The news of Daniel’s death had been doubly devastating, as he’d just signed up for the Leeds United youth football team, following in the footsteps of famous dad Terry Yorath – and she’d assumed he’d have a promising career ahead of him.

However, the seemingly fighting fit lad had suddenly collapsed during a kick about with Terry in the garden – and Gabby sobbed during an unearthed podcast interview as she recalled the impact it’d had on her.

“When my son was nearly 16 – a few days from Daniel’s birthday – I realised that I’d been worried about him not being 16 because Daniel never got there,” she tearfully confessed on the Diary Of A CEO podcast.

She added to host Steven Bartlett: “I did have a fear I was going to repeat history.”

READ MORE: David Beckham slammed for calling Lionesses ‘girls’ in message before semi-final[LATEST]

The 49-year-old revealed that her career as a BBC Sport correspondent had played into her fears, as she found herself “obsessively” checking the birth dates of all the football players she reported on.

“Even a few years afterwards I could find myself sobbing [and] I used to be obsessed with dates of players’ births because they would be Daniel’s age,” she explained.

“I knew he might be playing in that match. You wonder, ‘What kind of player would he have been?’ I wonder if he’d have had a girlfriend by now, or met somebody he wanted to marry, or now I wonder if he’d have children,” Gabby continued.

“There was a part of me that thought: ‘Now terrible things can happen at any time.'”

Don’t miss…
Legendary broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson dies after brief illness age 88[LATEST]
Strictly’s Bobby Brazier says ‘I’m a fool and a sinner’ as he talks religion[INSIGHT]
Michael Parkinson’s cause of death as host dies after ‘brief illness'[OBITUARY]

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Daniel had an invisible condition no-one had known about – and a post-mortem confirmed he’d been living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The disease causes the heart muscle to thicken, making it more difficult for it to continue to pump blood – and although many sufferers live long and healthy lives, a small number are prone to sudden death as a direct result.

Gabby was carrying the haunting loss of her brother with her until a conversation with a therapist helped her to rationalise about what had happened and view it differently.

“She just looked at me and said ‘Your s*** thing’s [already] happened [and] that was such a powerful thing to say,” she mused.

“It kind of really stopped me in my tracks and I thought: ‘I’ve got to stop believing something else is coming down the tracks
that I’m going to have to deal with.'”

Gabby also detailed the toxic relationships she began having, after her brother’s death left her fearful of committing to anyone.

Fortunately, she ultimately fell for her husband, former Scottish rugby union player Kenny Logan, and they married in 2001.

The pair competed on Strictly Come Dancing the same year and, in a bizarre twist, swapped dancefloor partners with another couple, James and Ola Jordan.

Four years later, the pair welcomed their eagerly awaited twins via IVF, Lois and Reuben – and her son is already shaping up to be the next big thing in the world of rugby.

Source: Read Full Article