Michelle Watt's father says TV presenter killed herself because she was in constant pain

The 60 Minute Makeover presenter was found dead in her home

Heather Saul
Friday 03 July 2015 11:59 BST
Jim Watt with his daughter Michelle
Jim Watt with his daughter Michelle

The father of TV presenter Michelle Watt said his daughter took her own life because she was in “constant pain” and couldn't sleep.

The 60 Minute Makeover presenter was found dead in the Stirlingshire home she shared with her husband Paul Kerr, 43, and daughter Jaymi, five.

Sky Sports boxing commentator Jim Watt said the 38-year-old “ceased to be Michelle” after undergoing a lumbar puncture on her spine. Her death is the second tragedy to hit Mr Watt after his son Jim died in a car crash in 1995.

Mr Watt said his daughter began suffering from headaches and blackouts last year.

He told the Scottish Sun: “There was a problem with her optical nerve so they gave her the lumbar puncture to check for things like pressure on the brain. From that point her life was horrendous. She was in constant pain and wasn’t sleeping."

After the lumbar puncture, Ms Watt began suffering from chronic headaches and moved back in with her father for the last three months.

"The spark just went," he said. "She just ceased to be Michelle."

Describing his profound loss, he added: "We don't quite know how we're going to recover from this.

"I've already lost a child which just compounds the grief."

Watt also worked on a variety of TV shows – fronting the National Lottery Daily Play and the Live New Year Show.

Her death prompted a stream of tributes from fellow presenters including Lorraine Kelly, who remembered her as a "lovely woman and a fantastic mum".

Police Scotland are not treating her death as suspicious.

Anyone in need of confidential support can contact the Samaritans in the UK 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90 or via their website www.samaritans.org.

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