Laura Whitmore has announced the tragic death of her very good friend at the age of 43.
The TV presenter shared on Thursday that she is devastated by the passing of her friend Jay McLaughlin, sharing images of the well-known fashion photographer.
The former Love Island host shared pictures of Jay with her followers, revealing he had died following a long battle with stage 4 cancer.
Going on to describe him as "very talented", Laura also noted that he had been documenting his battle with cancer online.
Laura wrote: “Sadly we have lost Jay.
“We had been preparing ourselves for the worst but you never fully comprehend it."
She went on to say that he had been a huge part of her life and the two had celebrated birthday together – as well as a love for Star Wars.
Laura continued: "He’s been part of and taken photos of so many stages of my life - shoots, BTS, headshots, birthdays.. not to mention our shared love of Star Wars.
"I know he was in a lot of pain near the end so I hope he is free of the restraints that his body had on him."
Laura's husband Iain Stirling added a heart emoji to the post in support of his wife.
Jay's partner of four years Edina also paid tribute to him on Instagram, writing: "James Scott McLaughlin who everyone knows as Jay. 27.12.1979 - 19.07.2023.
"Our brave and incredible Jay passed away peacefully tonight at St. Joseph’s Hospice and he is now in a galaxy far, far away.
"We don't really have the words right now, but we know how incredibly loved he was by all of you.”
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