Mark Wright says he’s ‘struggling to cope’ after Covid ‘tears family apart’

Mark Wright has said he is “struggling to cope” with the effects Covid-19 has had on his family.

The TV personality, who was made famous by ITV2 seriesThe Only Way is Essex, has opened up about the death of his uncle Eddie, who died in March 2021, aged 66, after having the illness for eight weeks.

"I am sat here one uncle less,” Wright, 34, told The Sun. “He’s the heart of our family. We’re all heartbroken beyond belief. I’m trying to be there for many, many family members who are devastated.”

He added: “Covid tore my family apart and it’s not going to be the same again.”

Wright said that he finds it hard to come to terms with the fact he “lost someone so close to something so new”, stating: “I struggle with this because it didn’t have to happen. Why did this virus have to take him?”

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Five members of Wright’s family, including his parents, grandparents and another uncle, also caught Covid within days of each other – despite the fact they all strictly adhered to lockdown guidelines.

He revealed that his dad, who is asthmatic, was hospitalised and that he received a text he “never wants to read again” from his brother that described their father’s worsening health.

“At that point, when you’re not with your dad, you think you’ll never see him again,” he said. “I thought if I lose my dad, I’m never going to get over this."

Wright said that the death of his uncle Eddie has given him an “inner strength”.

“My uncle Eddie was the guy that kept us all together and I’m not going to let that slip. He was all about the Wright family. I am going to keep that alive for him.”