‘The love he and my mum created stays on forever’: Sophie Ellis-Bextor reveals her ‘funny, smart and solid’ stepfather John Leach has died
Sophie Ellis-Bextor has paid tribute to her ‘funny, smart and solid’ step-father after he died last week following a battle with stage four lung cancer.
The musician, 41, revealed her stepdad John Leach’s passing ‘wasn’t unexpected but it was cruel’ and said the love he and her mother, former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, 64, shared will ‘stay on forever’.
Praising the couple’s ‘inspirational marriage’, Sophie revealed she wrote her 2013 track Young Blood about them as she posted a picture of TV producer John sat in his garden on her Instagram page on Thursday.
Tragic: Sophie Ellis-Bextor has paid tribute to her ‘funny, smart and solid’ step-father John Leach (pictured) after he died last week following a battle with stage four lung cancer
She wrote: ‘This is my step-dad, John. He’s been a big part of my life since I was small. I can’t believe it’s true but he died last week.
‘It wasn’t unexpected but it was cruel. Still, the love he and my mum created is all around our family and that stays on forever. Their marriage was truly inspirational – in fact, I wrote Young Blood about them.’
The mother-of-five continued: ‘I feel so lucky to have been brought up around that and to have been raised by him, too.
‘The love he and my mum created stays on forever’: The musician (pictured on stage in 2019), 41, revealed her stepdad John Leach’s passing ‘wasn’t unexpected but it was cruel’
Solid couple: The singer’s mother, former Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis, 64, married the former managing director of TV production company Sunset+Vine, in 1988 (pictured in 2018)
‘He was honestly the loveliest person. Kind, good, funny, smart, subtle, solid and clear. It’ll always be sad that he isn’t here but I’m thankful for all he’s done for us and for so, so many happy memories.
‘Love is the most mighty thing of all and it outlives everything. Xxx.’
Broadcaster Janet married the former managing director of TV production company Sunset+Vine, in 1988 following the breakdown of her one-year marriage to Sophie’s biological father Robin Bextor, 66.
The host and TV director Robin tied the knot in 1977, two years before they welcomed Sophie.
John is also survived by their two other children, Jackson, 33, and Martha, 30.
In April, the singer revealed she, husband Richard Jones and their children Sonny, 16, Kit, 11, Ray, seven, Jesse, four, and Mickey, 18 months, went into isolation before UK’s official lockdown as they didn’t want to risk making John ill during his battle with cancer.