Ashley Cain was told his grandmother died just minutes before first Celebrity SAS challenge
Topics: Celebrity, Ashley Cain, TV And Film
Gregory Robinson
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/mrashleycain/Channel 4
Topics: Celebrity, Ashley Cain, TV And Film
Ashley Cain has opened up about the moment he was told moments before his first Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins challenge that his grandmother had died.
The reality TV star, who lost his daughter Azaylia Cain last year at eight months, shared how the news of his grandmother's passing affected him on the show.
“On that first episode, I got a phone call from home telling me that I lost my grandma, then we had to go straight to the first challenge,” Ashley told OK!
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"She passed away and they didn't air that..."
Ashley was faced with the tough decision to either carry on or pull out of the first challenge.
Explaining the situation he said: "I had the option to pull out the first day or continue the show.”
He added: "Afterwards, when I got my head around losing my grandma, I said 'No, I'm here. I've got to do it properly. I don't want to cheat. I don't want people to make exceptions for me, because in life you don't get exceptions made for you.
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"No one cares about your excuses. So I'm not going to have any excuses right now, while I'm in here.”
The scenes which captured Ashley being told the heartbreaking news were not aired.
In November last year Ashley uploaded an Instagram Story post with a picture of his grandmother holding Azaylia.
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"Been such a difficult time over the past few days for the family. Grandma got her angel wings last night. Fly high. We love you".
Ashley and his ex-partner Safiyya Vorajee paid tribute to Azaylia on what would have been her second birthday last month.
Azaylia died from a rare form of leukaemia and both Ashley and Safiyya have set up a charity in her honour to help other young cancer patients.
Ashley visited ITV's Good Morning Britain last month to spread awareness about The Azaylia Foundation.
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When asked by co-hosts Rob Rinder and Kate Garraway to explain why he refuses to trim his beard, Ashley revealed it was a way for him to stay connected to his late daughter.
"When we were in hospital we couldn't go out so I couldn't get a haircut so I ended up developing and growing this beard and as my daughter got older she began to grab hold of it," he said.
"She used to hold it and rub her feet through it and because I haven't got her here with me anymore, I wanted to keep my beard because she's touched these very hairs on my face, and I don't trim it, I don't shape it."
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Ashley also made a reference to the biblical figure Samson, who got strength from his uncut hair.
"I leave it because I feel like Samson and my beard's my strength,” he added.
You can donate to the The Azaylia Foundation here.
Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins continues on Sunday 11 September at 9:00pm on Channel 4.