Tina Turner Feared Son Would ‘Turn Out Like’ Abusive Father

The truth about Tina Turner’s agonizing final years and the many health battles that she faced leading up to her death has been laid bare in great detail since the music icon passed away at the age of 83

Her strength and resilience during those years has been celebrated by many of her friends, family, and fans in recent days – but now, one person who knew her more intimately than most could ever have, is opening up about the very personal pain that Tina was grappling with long before she was diagnosed with any illness. 

In her first interview since Tina’s death earlier this week, the Proud Mary singer’s daughter-in-law Afida is opening up in searing detail about the incredible heartache that she suffered as a mother two four children – two of whom she tragically outlived. 

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com from her home in France, Afida, 46, who like her mother-in-law is also a musician, laid bare the truth about Tina’s heartbreaking fears that her son Ronnie would ‘turn out like’ his abusive father Ike Turner – and the grief over her other son Craig’s suicide, which clouded her life until her dying day. 

She also revealed the family’s shock over Tina’s passing – admitting that, despite knowing she had been sick for so long, her strength and resilience made them all think that she would live forever. 

‘She was ill for a long time, but she was extraordinarily strong too,’ Afida shared. ‘She was fighting for her life from 2017 until now. We knew how sick she was, but she was doing so well that this was not expected.’ 

Over the years, Tina was battered with a number of serious health conditions, including hypertension that led to a stroke and kidney failure, intestinal cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Still, Afida says that her death rocked her surviving family members to their very cores.  

The news of Tina’s death came as an even greater shock for the family because they are still dealing with their gut-wrenching grief over the loss of her son, Afida’s late husband, Ronnie, who died from colon cancer in December – just five months before his mother passed away. 

It was an almost unthinkable tragedy for Tina, who was, Afida says, already ‘extremely sick’ when her son passed away and who had already had to suffer through the loss of one son, Craig, who shot himself dead in 2018 at the age of 59.

According to Afida, losing Craig was a heartache that Tina carried with her every day – even as she battled her own ailing health. 

According to Afida, losing Craig was a heartache that Tina carried with her every day – even as she battled her own ailing health. 

‘If you lose a child, or a loved one, you are going to cry every morning and every night.’

However she says that Tina found strength in her Buddhist faith, adding that the only dim light to come out of her mother-in-law’s passing is the knowledge that she has finally been reunited with her sons. 

‘They never had time to spend together and now all three of them are together,’ she said. 

Craig was Tina’s only child from her relationship with Kings of Rhythm saxophonist Raymond Hill and she gave birth to him when she was just 18 years old. Upon learning of the news of his suicide, Tina expressed her shock – admitting at the time in a public statement that she had thought he was happier than ever before, having found love with a woman who he had been planning to introduce to his mother. 

‘I still don’t know what took him to the edge,’ she told the BBC. ‘Because at that stage he had said to me that he had never met a woman that he felt that way about. 

‘He was bringing her to meet me [for] his birthday in August. He had decorated his apartment, that I bought him years ago.

‘I have no idea what pulled him down, except something that followed him with loneliness. I think it was something with being alone.’

Just five years after Craig passed away, Tina lost her second son, Ronnie, to a severe form of colon cancer, which claimed his life just three weeks after he was diagnosed – a loss that left both his mother and his wife ‘traumatized’, Afida says. 

We knew how sick she was, but she was doing so well that this was not expected’

‘It destroyed me. It traumatized me,’ she candidly admitted. ‘It was hard for me to stay in the house, I lost weight.

‘Tina was already extremely sick [when Ronnie was diagnosed], she could not fly to Los Angeles and [care for him]. I had to do it all on my own.’

Although Tina was too ill to care for her son in his final weeks, Afida says that her infamous ‘force of nature and endurance’ was clear to see in Ronnie even as he battled the cancer that ravaged his health so quickly. 

It was, she explained, a testament to the family’s incredible resilience that both remained so strong in their final weeks on Earth. 

‘I believe it is force of nature and endurance,’ she said. ‘I believe you are born like that. You are born with her kind of energy. Ronnie was so like that too. He was so strong. He never got sick. 

‘One time he was in the snow with his long dreadlocks, and I was like you are going to get sick and he was like, “No I don’t get sick!” The two of them had very strong genes.’ 

Although Ronnie inherited his mother’s incredible spirit, Afida revealed that Tina feared for years he would ‘turn out like’ his father Ike – whom the singer said put her through years of hellish abuse during their marriage, beginning on their wedding night when she revealed he forced her to visit a brothel

In an incredible admission, Afida says Tina – who also adopted two of Ike’s sons from a previous relationship – actually warned her away from Ronnie in the early years of their relationship out of terror that she might subject another woman to the kind of abuse she says she faced at the hands of her husband for so long. 

‘[Tina] sometimes told me, “You don’t want to stay with him. He is going to be like his father,”‘ Afida shared. ‘It is pretty rare for a mother to say that.’ 

She admits that, at the start of her relationship with Ronnie, it looked as though Tina’s fears might might be realized, confessing that her partner initially began to show signs of the kind of behavior that his mother had warned her about. 

‘At first, he was kind of like his father, but after that he was going very well,’ she revealed, noting that she made clear to Ronnie she would not stay with him if his behavior continued. 

‘He made a very big effort to keep me. In the beginning it was very hard because I was not willing to stay with him.’

Before meeting Afida, Ronnie had faced a history of drug-related arrests, and was busted in August 1999 for possession of cocaine — with authorities alleging he was selling the drugs.

The arrest came just two years after he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance just two years earlier, as well as sale of a controlled substance in 1987 and possession of cocaine in 1988.

Ronnie’s cocaine use was a harrowing echo of his father’s own struggles, which would ultimately claim his life when he died on December 12, 2007, from a cocaine overdose. 

Afida believes that Ronnie struggled during his childhood – during much of which his parents were working – explaining that, in place of the time her husband wishes he could have spent with his father, Ike would offer financial rewards and lavish gifts. 

‘[Ronnie] was extremely sensitive,’ she revealed. ‘He told me that his father gave him $100 every day. Him, Craig, Mike, and Ike Jr. got all the best gifts from Ike when they came back from tour. He told me Ike bought a Porsche for Craig.’ 

When Afida first met Ronnie, she says he was a ‘heavy drinker’, however she insists that he had changed his ways long before he was diagnosed with cancer. 

‘I made him stop drinking and go to the gym. He was doing very well,’ she recalled. 

However, in 2022, Ronnie’s health suddenly took a turn for the worse – and Afida returned home from a tour to find that he was incredibly sick. 

‘I was on tour for two weeks. I came back and his stomach was huge,’ she revealed. 

‘I knew something was wrong right away. He said, “When you are on tour you don’t cook for me. So, I just eat burgers.” 

‘But I knew [his condition was not caused by] a burger. So, I just took him to the ER to do a scan. Every month for ten years, he had a blood test because he was a heavy drinker.’ 

The couple received the devastating colon cancer diagnosis – however Afida says that Ronnie was ready to battle the illness with the same fighting attitude as his mother had done for much of her life.  

‘When we got the results that it was a colon cancer, we were ready to do chemotherapy,’ she revealed. ‘And one week after the result he passed away. And now his has mother passed.’

Still reeling from the death of her husband, Afida says she has found small comfort in the knowledge that Ronnie and Tina have now been reunited – along with Craig. 

And, as Tina did for so long, Afida plans to seek comfort in her music – something that she says was a key part of her strong bond with her mother-in-law, as well as their shared larger-than-life personalities. 

‘I am very honest and sometimes I can be very shocking,’ Afida jokes, ‘[Tina] was the same. Sometimes people are just shocked [when they see me], like, “Oh my God.” When she first saw me, she was a little shocked. But after we talked, she was never shocked at all.’

She also believes that her similarities to Tina helped to form the foundation of her years-long relationship with Ronnie, who she says always struggled to find a woman who understood him in the way that his mother did. 

‘Maybe that is why Ronnie was in love with me so much, because he did not think that much of women,’ she said. ‘A woman was never good enough for him.’

Afida says she does not yet know what the exact plans are for Tina’s funeral – however she was quick to pay tribute to her mother-in-law’s husband, Erwin Bach, whom she praised for being such a pillar of support to the singer for so many years. 

‘She is having a funeral, but I am not the one who organized it,’ she explained. ‘I am not the one who is doing this. Her husband handles that. She has a husband who handles all of that and has handled everything for many years. 

‘He did a good job at it too. He did a good job at helping her.’

Until Afida is able to say goodbye to Tina at her official funeral, she says she will continue to honor her legacy with the rest of the world – while also seeking solace in the bittersweet knowledge that her mother-in-law has been reunited with the children she loved so much. 

‘Tina Turner will be with us forever. Rest in peace with your two sons, Ron, and Craig. I love you all very much.’ 

Jimmie Allen Apologizes for ‘Humiliating’ Estranged Wife

Country music star Jimmie Allen is owning up to his infidelity.

The singer penned an apology to his estranged wife Alexis “Lexi” Allen—who is currently pregnant with the couple’s third child together—amid their separation, admitting that he cheated during their relationship.

“I want to publicly apologize to my wife Alexis for humiliating her with my affair,” he wrote on Instagram May 18. “I’m embarrassed that my choices have brought shame on her. That’s something that she did not deserve at all.”

The 37-year-old also apologized to his children—including daughters Naomi, 3, and Zara, 19 months, with Alexis—for “being a poor example of a man and a father.” 

“I’m working on becoming a better person that my kids can be proud of,” continued Jimmie, who is also dad to 8-year-old son Aaydn from a previous relationship. “My goal is to be better than the generation before me.”

He added, “This business takes so much from you. It’s full of temptations that can cripple you and ruin everything you’ve built. I’m ashamed that I wasn’t strong enough to withstand them. I will no longer be a victim of my weaknesses.”

The public apology comes nearly a month after Jimmie shared that he and Alexis had broken up following two years of marriage. At the time, the “Best Shot” artist wrote in an April 21 post, “As we navigate this life change, we can also share that we will be welcoming another child together later this year.”

He continued, “Our number one priority is and always will be ensuring that our children are healthy, happy and loved, and we remain committed to coparenting with love and respect for one another.”

The former couple filed for divorce in Tennessee the following week and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their breakup, per documents obtained by People

Amid the divorce, Jimmie is facing a lawsuit from his former manager, who is accusing him of sexually assaulting her over a period of 18 months. In a statement to E! News on May 11, the musician denied the allegations, though acknowledged that he and the woman—who is identified as only Jane Doe in the complaint—did have a “consensual” sexual relationship lasting nearly two years.

“During that time, she never once accused me of any wrongdoing, and she spoke of our relationship and friendship as being something she wanted to continue indefinitely,” he said in part. “The simple fact is, her accusations are not only false, but also extremely damaging. I’ve worked incredibly hard to build my career, and I intend to mount a vigorous defense to her claims and take all other legal action necessary to protect my reputation.”

According to Alexis, she and Jimmie are expecting a son together. On Mother’s Day, the registered nurse captioned a sonogram on her Instagram Story, “My baby boy.”

For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.

Missing Female EMT Found Alive

The Ohio emergency medical technician who vanished over the weekend and was believed to be in danger has been found alive, Cleveland police said Friday morning.

Lachelle Jordan, 30, was last seen at 6 p.m. Saturday when she went to get something from her car parked on Fairport Avenue in Cleveland and wasn’t seen afterward, police previously said. In a notice asking for information, police said Jordan was endangered.

Jordan was located about 3 miles away from where she disappeared, police said in an update.

A clerk at a pantry store on Euclid Avenue told NBC affiliate WKYC of Cleveland that Jordan had entered the store Thursday evening and asked to use the phone. 

Her condition was not clear, but she was “conveyed to the Cleveland Clinic for medical treatment,” authorities said.

Jordan is a Cleveland EMT and a mother of two, WKYC has reported.

A $5,000 reward for information had been announced Wednesday by Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County.

Jordan was supposed to make a court appearance Monday in connection with a rape case involving a former co-worker, 65-year-old Michael Stennett, WKYC reported. He was indicted last May on two charges of rape and one count of abduction, court records show.

In the Monday hearing, the state and the defense asked for the pretrial hearing to be continued because Jordan had “dropped out of sight, and the state is attempting to find her,” the court docket said.  

The pretrial hearing was continued to May 30. 

Stennett was out on bond at the time of Jordan’s disappearance but was arrested early Monday and booked into the Cuyahoga County Corrections Center, online booking records show. While authorities have not confirmed what led to the arrest, sources told WKYC that he allegedly violated a protective order filed by Jordan.

NBC News has reached out to Stennett’s attorney for comment.

Police have not said whether Stennett was involved in Jordan’s disappearance.

Jordan’s father, Joe Jordan, told the station that it was out of character for his daughter to vanish. 

“For Lachelle to go missing, that is unusual, and we’re going to find her. That’s what we’re going to do,” he said. “As a father, I want to say, if you have my daughter, give her back to me. That’s all I want.” 

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The hotline, run by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can also access RAINN’s online chat service at https://www.rainn.org/get-help. Confidential chats are available in English and in Spanish.

Chris Pratt Compares Himself to Jesus

There’s a long-running debate among pop culture devotees over which of the major Hollywood Chrises (Pine, Pratt, Hemsworth, or Evans) is superior. But Pratt, who notably pivoted from goofy Parks and Rec star to Marvel superhero/Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son-in-law, is almost certainly the most divisive, or at least the most vocally God-fearing.

Pratt—who, you may remember, once said in an MTV Movie Awards acceptance speech that “God is real and God loves you”—addressed the backlash he’s gotten for his religious beliefs on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 red carpet last week.

“That’s nothing new, you know?” Pratt told Page Six. “That’s the way it is—nothing new. Two thousand years ago, they hated him too,” he added, in reference to Jesus Christ.

“If I was of this world, they would love me just like that, but as it is, I’ve chosen out of this world. That’s John 15:18 through 20,” Pratt also told the outlet, explaining that he was quoting a Bible verse.

Pratt, who has also caught flack for his seemingly Republican politics over the years, told Esquire in 2012 that he converted to Christianity when he was a teenager after a man stopped him and a few friends on their way to buy booze. “He was like, ‘I stopped because Jesus told me to stop and talk to you. He said to tell you you’re destined for great things,’” Pratt told the mag at the time. “My friends came out and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go with this guy.’ I gave my soul to Jesus within, like, two days.”

Source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/chris-pratt-compares-himself-to-jesus-amid-religious-backlash

Man Murders Mother-in-Law with ‘Large Sword’

A52-year-old has been accused of murder after allegedly killing his mother-in-law in a violent attack with a large sword.

The alleged incident happened on April 28 in Puna, a town situated near the eastern edge of Hawaii’s largest island. Around 1:40 p.m. local time, officers from the Hawaii Police Department were called to a home in an Orchidland Estates neighborhood following reports of a disturbance.

Upon arriving at the residence, police reportedly found Christopher Roy Howlind in need of medical attention with injured hands and a bloodied shirt. A large sword was found near Howlind covered in blood.

While medical assistance was being called for Howlind, the continued search of the residence turned up the dead body of 58-year-old Teri Lynn Apple, who had “severe knife wounds to her neck, upper body, arms, and hands,” according to the police report. Following this discovery, Howlind was arrested and charged with the murder of Apple, later determined to be his mother-in-law. An autopsy completed on Tuesday confirmed that she had died as a result of the wounds and ruled her death a homicide.

Howlind was booked into a cellblock at the nearby Hilo Police Station but was later rushed to the Hilo Medical Center Emergency Room after vomiting and becoming unresponsive. According to a report, the medical incident at the cellblock was the result of the suspect drinking a liquid chemical substance prior to police arriving at this residence.

Due to the need for medical treatment, Howlind was temporarily released from police custody on Sunday but was later taken back in on Thursday. He currently faces a charge of second-degree murder, with his bail being set at $1 million. The charge carries the potential for a life sentence with the possibility of parole. A statement from Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen confirmed that the suspect made his first appearance in court on Friday.

The details about what sort of situation may have led Howlind to allegedly assault his mother-in-law with a deadly weapon have not been disclosed at this time. Newsweek reached out to the Hawaii Police Department via email for comment.

A similar incident occurred last summer in the resort neighborhood of Waikiki, when 46-year-old 7-Eleven worker Jason Walker allegedly attacked a 51-year-old man outside the convenience store with a sword, cutting off the victim’s left hand in the process. Walker was later charged with second-degree attempted murder, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Christopher Howlin via Hawai’i Police

Active Shooter Incident in Reported in Georgia (VIDEO)

Atlanta police reported an active shooter situation in Georgia on Wednesday afternoon.

The shooter is still on the loose.

Atlanta police said 1 person is dead and 3 are injured.

Police have released these images of a suspect who they say is at large.

Police cautioned, “The suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached.”

The incident took place at a hospital in the city’s Midtown neighborhood.

Within minutes of the police alert, the block the facility is on was flooded with squad cars and ambulances.

There were few pedestrians on the street, in what would ordinarily be a busy lunch hour in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood.

“We are working an active shooter situation inside a building on West Peachtree St,” the PD said in a Facebook post. “We are aware of multiple people injured. No suspect is in custody. Anyone in the area is asked to secure their building and continue to shelter in place. Anyone not in the area is asked to stay away.”

Drunk Driver Kills Bride Moments After Wedding Reception

The alleged drunk driver who killed a newlywed bride and severely injured the groom in a grisly weekend crash is on suicide watch in jail, authorities in South Carolina said.

Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, was booked under suicide watch at Charleston County jail on Saturday after she told an officer at the hospital that she wanted to kill herself, according to a police affidavit.

Komoroski was behind the wheel of a Toyota rental car on Friday night when she allegedly plowed into a golf cart carrying Samantha Hutchinson and her husband, Aric, away from their Folly Beach wedding reception.

According to the affidavit, officers arrived shortly after 10:15 and found “multiple victims” strewn throughout the area.

Samantha, 34, was found not breathing and with no pulse and was declared dead at the scene. Aric and two other passengers were severely injured and remain in the hospital.

Folly Beach police said Komoroski, who was not injured, was driving 65 miles per hour at the time of the crash and that she smelled of alcohol but refused a field sobriety test.

According to the affidavit, she told first responders that she had had one beer and one tequila shot before the accident.

Samantha and Aric Hutchinson at their wedding.
Samantha and Aric Hutchinson were involved in the fatal crash just moments after they left their wedding reception.

When asked how she felt on a scale of 1 to 10 — 10 being completely sober — Komoroski allegedly rated herself an 8.

Who was Sam Hutchinson?

The 34-year-old married her husband, Aric, on Friday in a heartwarming wedding that had a tragic ending.

Hutchinson was reportedly killed by Jamie Lee Komoroski, an alleged drunk driver, while the bride and groom exited on a golf cart shortly after their wedding reception Friday night.

Hutchinson was declared dead at the scene while her husband is in the hospital with severe injuries.

The bride’s sister, Mandi Jenkins, recalled it as “the best day” of the newlywed’s life.

The groom’s mom added: “Aric has lost the love of his life.”

What will happen to Jamie Lee Komoroski?

Komoroski, 25, allegedly plowed into the Hutchinsons’ golf cart while driving around 65 miles per hour, according to Folly Beach police.

The driver reportedly smelled of alcohol but refused to take a sobriety test.

She was charged with three felony DUIs resulting in great bodily injury or death and one count of reckless homicide.

When asked how she felt on a scale of 1 to 10 — with 10 being completely sober — Komoroski allegedly rated herself an 8, WCIV reported.

Komoroski was booked under suicide watch after telling an officer she wanted to die, according to WCIV.

The results of Komoroski’s blood test are pending, but Charleston County records show that she was charged with three felony DUIs resulting in great bodily injury or death and one count of reckless homicide.

She is being held without bail.

Meanwhile, Samantha and Aric’s families are struggling to grapple with their loss during what should have been the happiest period of the couple’s life.

“I was handed Aric’s wedding ring in a plastic bag at the hospital, five hours after Sam placed it on his finger and they read each other their vows,” the groom’s mother wrote on the GoFundMe started hours after the tragedy.

“Aric has lost the love of his life.”

30 Injured, Multiple Dead in Huge Crash Caused by Dust Storm (VIDEO)

Over 30 people were injured and several are dead after a number of crashes during a dust storm on Interstate 55 downstate Monday, officials said.

At least 20 commercial vehicles and 40 to 60 cars were involved in the crashes just before 11 a.m. They started on the northbound side, and some eventually took place on the southbound side, as well, Illinois State Police said.

Illinois State Police said troopers responded to I-55 near mile post 76 in Montgomery County for multiple crashes with injuries, due to excessive winds blowing dirt from farm fields across the highway.

The extent of the injuries was not immediately clear. Two semitrailers caught fire.

The highway is shut down in both directions from mile post 63 to 80, ISP said.

Visibility is low due to blowing dust.

The Illinois Department of Transportation tweeted just after 11:15 a.m. that I-55 was closed in both directions between Divernon and Farmersville, Illinois in Sangamon and Montgomery counties.

IDOT also retweeted a photo from one Twitter user that showed the dust storm in that area.

Traffic is being detoured on IL-48 and IL-104 through Taylorville, IDOT said. Motorists are asked to avoid the area.

The roadway is not expected to reopen until at least Tuesday afternoon.

Police believe everyone has been transported from the scene, but officials were conducting a second search of vehicles Monday afternoon.

The stretch of I-55 is south of Springfield.

U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, tweeted, “My team and I are closely following the devastating crash on I-55 as authorities learn more. Please be safe as this situation continues to unfold.”

2 Teens Killed and 4 Injured in House Party Shooting (VIDEO)

Two teenagers were killed and at least four others were wounded when a gunman opened fire early Sunday at a house party in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, police said.

One suspect, identified as 19-year-old Cameron Everest Brand, was arrested on six counts of aggravated assault. Following Brand’s arrest, two of the shooting victims died, according to the Bay St. Louis Police Department.

The shooting unfolded around 12:34 a.m. Sunday at a house in the Gulf Coast town about 30 miles west of Biloxi.

“Upon arrival, multiple persons were found suffering from gunshot wounds,” Bay St. Louis Police Chief J. Toby Schwartz said in a statement.

He said two of the victims, an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old, were taken to University Medical Center in New Orleans, where they were pronounced dead. Their names were not immediately released.

Schwartz said the other victims, all between 15 and 18 years old, were taken by private cars to nearby hospitals. One victim remains in critical condition and three others are in serious condition, police said.

“Through a thorough investigation, including witness and victim statements, Cameron Brand was identified as the sole shooter,” Schwartz said.

Brand was taken into custody at his home in the nearby town of Pass Christian, Mississippi, after police obtained an arrest warrant for him, Schwartz said. Everest was jailed without bail.

A motive for the shooting was under investigation Sunday.

Original Article

Actor Dale Meeks Dies at 47

TV star Dale Meeks shared a heartbreaking final post before he died aged 47.

The actor, whose passing was announced on Sunday night, tweeted a picture of a door telling fans this was where he’d be watching his latest TV series, The Hunt for Raoul Moat.

He wrote in the caption: “Sadly watching tonight’s episode from this equally mysterious and sinister location.

“It’s fantastic to feel the love. Thanks gang. Keep it coming xxx.”

The picture, the back of a door, displayed signs titled ‘Room 9’ and ‘Male’.

Dale was well-known for his role in Byker Grove as a gang leader alongside Ant and Dec, and for playing Simon Meredith on the soap Emmerdale from 2003-2006.

He most recently appeared in ITV’s The Hunt for Raoul Moat as the killer’s friend Rory Sutcliffe.

But his brother Philip Meeks says the actor was “unable to cope” before his death as family members tried to help him with “undiagnosed conditions”.

In a heartbreaking post, he wrote: “The little boy I grew up with has left me.

“I tried so desperately to help him. It will say heart failure on the death certificate. But we’ll be collecting [money] for Mind Charity.

“Dale was profoundly unwell and unable to cope and undiagnosed conditions in men in their forties are killers.

“Dale was let down by those who should have seen beyond his ability to act and recognise his pain. I will never get over his death.”

Ant and Dec were quick to pay tribute to the star as the news broke.

The presenters wrote in a tweet on their joint account: “We are so incredibly sorry to hear the very sad news of Dale’s passing.

“He was the loveliest of guys, even though he was a Denton ‘Burner’, the arch nemesis of the Byker ‘Grovers’! A sad loss at such a young age. RIP Dale. Sleep well bonny lad.”

While co-star Nick Miles, who plays Jimmy King in Emmerdale, added: “Such sad news. He was a lovely generous man. RIP.”

Fans are now leaving tributes below Dale’s last tweet.

One wrote: “Goodbye my friend. I’m heartbroken by your loss but so f***ing proud to have known you.”

Another said: “Sleep easy, Dale pet. You were and always will be, one of the rare diamonds of the North East. heartbreaking.”

Another one of Dale’s memorable TV appearances came as he and his Emmerdale co-star Mark Charnock won Celebrity Stars in their Eyes as the Blues Brothers in 2005.

Outside of TV Dale toured the country in the cast of Chicago and also had a role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies.

He was also the frontman of South Tyneside blues act Shake Your Tail Feather.

Dale’s death was announced by a family member on Facebook.

The post read: “So unbelievably sad. Brother in law, mucca, side kick and just the BEST friend a lad could have wished for. RIP Dale Meeks. So much less to laugh about now you’re not there to share it with.

“Thanks everyone for all the beautiful messages and memories you have been sharing.

“The support of Dale’s friends has been so incredibly strong over these chaotic, heart-breaking final hours, I can only stand in awe.”

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