GB News' Michelle Dewberry's life off-air from prison boyfriend to tragic fatal fall

Before she caught the eye of Lord Alan Sugar on the BBC's The Apprentice with her sharp business acumen, GB News anchor Michelle Dewberry had faced a string of challenges. Growing up on a council estate in Kingston upon Hull, she left school at 16, only having two GCSEs to her name.

At the tender age of 17, she was struck by tragedy when her sister Fiona, then 19, died after falling from the eighth floor of a tower block in Hull, an event that left Michelle "devastated". She later reflected on the incident: "I felt that she'd been robbed of having a life, so I decided I was going to make mine extraordinary. I wanted a life that was good enough for her and me."

Michelle grew up in a three-bedroom terrace house with her five siblings. She revealed the financial struggles they faced: "Money was an issue. We were only allowed one light on in the house at a time and we didn't even have a fridge."

READ MORE: Full story of one of Birmingham's worst robbers first locked up aged 14 and now in jail until 2034

Her past also included mingling with troublesome crowds, as she confided to Cosmopolitan: "I got in with a bad crowd and, by the age of 16, I was spending all of my time on a huge council estate in Hull with a boyfriend who was in and out of prison."

Despite these obstacles, Michelle's entrepreneurial spirit shone through, leading her to victory in the second series of The Apprentice, and eventually to hosting her own prime-time show on GB News, 'Dewbs & Co' by 2021, reports the Express.

In 2014, Michelle experienced a fresh setback when she was told she had skin cancer. Despite initially being dismissed by doctors as a mere pimple, the growth on her nose was in fact malignant, resulting in urgent surgery that left her with a substantial depression in her face.

Reflecting on her health scare, she said: "My brush with cancer did not start with a mole - as most people imagine - but with an innocent-looking pimple. I first noticed it on the right side of my nose in spring 2013. I haven't had spots since I was a teenager."

She continued, "I didn't realise that the cancer was burrowing its way into my skin. The longer it was left, the more damage it was doing." She recounted how close she came to missing the diagnosis: "I was lulled into such a false sense of security, the cancer would probably still be growing today if I hadn't bumped into a dermatologist at a Christmas party last December. When I heard the C word I crumbled."

Her family has also been afflicted by the disease; her cousin Susan Farrall is battling terminal cancer. While talking on GB News, Susan described her heartbreaking prognosis: "I was told to probably have about nine to 12 months to live. My diagnosis came after six months of investigations, being treated for post COVID infections. I was coughing and breathless. I had fluid on the lung, which was drained three times - all classic symptoms of mesothelioma, as I know now.

"When I asked why it had taken so long to diagnose despite these classic symptoms, I was told by my consultant that they weren't looking for it with me. I was a 56 year old female in previous good health, and I didn't fit the demographic."

In her private life, Michelle finds joy with ex-Crystal Palace FC owner Simon Jordan. The couple, parents to a son, faced a harrowing time during his birth.

Michelle gave birth prematurely at 31 weeks via an emergency Caesarean section, followed by a protracted hospital stay. Recalling the experience, Michelle shared: "I was absolutely delighted to have discovered that I was pregnant. But unbeknownst to me, I was going to end up having a very complicated and scary pregnancy."

Those dark days were intensified by the pandemic, instilling in her a constant fear. She explained the gravity of her situation: "It was a scary, horrible time. It was during Covid as well, which didn't help, but all the time I was told that I was at high risk of infection. I didn't know what was going to happen to me."

Thankfully, the story has a happy ending, with her baby boy born "happy and healthy". Since then, Michelle has dedicated years to supporting charities for premature babies.