BBC’s Evan Davis says he found out his dad had committed suicide on wedding day

Presenter Evan Davis has shared that he received a text on his wedding day informing him that his father had died.

Last year, the 61-year-old star married his partner Guillaume Baltz, a 56-year-old French landscape architect, in Central London.

However, while he and his guests were about to sit down at a restaurant terrace beside the Thames, he found out that his father, Quintin, 92, had died.

In an interview with The Times, the Dragon’s Den presenter said that he had initially received a text from his brother, Roland, which asked him to, “Call ASAP.”

Evan temporarily left the celebrations and called his brother, who delivered the news that his dad had died.

“OK. I’m actually just getting married at the moment. I want to absorb the news very quickly. I’ll call you back straight away,” he replied before telling his new husband, Guillaume, the news.

In a further phone call, Evan revealed that he found out his father had committed suicide.

The 61-year-old received a further text from his other brother, Beric, who told the pair to carry on with their special day.

Addressing the guests, Evan said: “We’ve just had some news. My fathers died. But I don’t want you to be alarmed.

“He was very elderly and it was definitely time. He had a wonderful, long and happy life. And he was definitely ready to go. There’s actually nothing we can do. So I’m going to propose that we carry on.”

Davis went on to say that he was open to telling his family and friends that his late father had committed suicide because he was “not ashamed of it.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the journalist revealed that the news was not too much of a shock, as his dad had actually already expressed his desire to end his own life.

Quintin had sent Evan, Beric and Roland an email the year before with plans to commit suicide — which the brothers respected and did not try to talk him out of.

Evan said that towards the end of his life, his dad was deteriorating, his heart was beginning to fail and he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

Following the death of his father, the personality went back to work at Broadcasting House and said that when his BBC colleagues asked about his wedding he burst into tears.

Speaking about the way he ended his life, Evans said it was “very sad” to think that Quintin planned his death on his own.

He also rhetorically queried: “Would it have been nice for him to be able to say goodbye and for the family to be there?”

The Samaritans can be reached round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on the phone. You can reach them by calling 116 123, by emailing jo@samaritans.org or by visiting www.samaritans.org.