In a profoundly moving moment on BBC One's Celebrity Race Across The World, Jackie Llewellyn, the mother of actor Dylan Llewellyn, broke down as she recounted the tragic death of her first husband just days before she gave birth to their son.
A Heartbreaking Revelation in Panama
The emotional scene unfolded during Thursday night's episode (4th December 2025) as the mother-son duo travelled through Panama. While taking a break to swim under a waterfall, Jackie opened up to the cameras about finding solace in nature.
"When I’m in nature, I feel like I’m close to heaven or something," she shared. "I think through losses I have, I feel closer to them when I’m in those moments of serenity and beauty." This reflection led her to reveal the immense personal tragedy she endured decades earlier.
The Tragic Loss That Changed Everything
Jackie explained that she met her first husband when she was 22 and was pregnant with their son, James. Just two days before her due date, on 21st December, her world shattered.
"There was a knock at the door and those two fluorescent jackets," she recalled, describing the moment police arrived. "They said, 'We just want to let you know that your husband has been knocked over by a car and killed instantly.'"
She gave birth to James shortly after and struggled profoundly as a single mother. "I had James and I found it very difficult on my own. I eventually got my act together and got on in life and coped," she stated.
A Family Forged Through Resilience
Jackie later met and married her second husband, Barry, with whom she had two more sons: Dylan, the Derry Girls actor, and Cameron. She described the chaotic but joyful period of raising "three little boys under three."
The family's resilience was tested again years later when her firstborn, James, died by suicide at the age of 20. Dylan, then 16, had previously shared this loss on the show during a ceremony in South America.
"Losing two people very close in my life definitely has changed me as a person," a tearful Jackie confessed. "When James had gone I’d internalised trying to be brave and put on a brave face for the boys. It took me a while to be strong again, but I’ve had to be strong as a mother to my boys."
Viewers on social media platform X were deeply moved by Jackie's story. One user wrote, "I can’t deal with how much trauma and heartbreak Dylan’s Mum has been through," while another praised her strength: "Poor woman. How strong do you have to be to deal with that?"
Celebrity Race Across the World continues on Thursdays at 8pm on BBC One.
Need support? For emotional support, contact the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org. For those concerned about a young person, PAPYRUS's HOPELINE247 is available on 0800 068 4141, by texting 88247, or emailing pat@papyrus-uk.org.
