‘Always a gentleman’: TOWIE’s Gemma Collins leads the heartbreaking tributes for co-star Mick Norcross after his ‘absolutely tragic’ death aged 57
- The businessman was pronounced dead by emergency services in Essex at 3.15pm on Thursday afternoon
- Mick’s haunting last tweet was posted on Thursday morning at 7.17am, just hours before he was found
- The property developer made his TOWIE debut in 2011 during the show’s second season
- His son Kirk was part of the original cast when the hit ITV2 reality show began a year prior
- He was introduced as Sugar Hut’s owner, a nightclub in Brentwood and popular filming location for the show
- If you have been affected by this story, call The Samaritans at any time, from any phone for FREE, on 116 123
Tributes have flooded in for TOWIE star Mick Norcross after news broke of his death.
The 57-year-old businessman was found dead by emergency services at his home in Essex on Thursday afternoon.
Dozens of Mick’s celebrity friends shared their heartache in the comment section of his haunting final tweet: ‘At the end remind yourself that you did the best you could. And that is good enough.’
‘A true gentleman’: Tributes have flooded in for TOWIE star Mick Norcross after news broke of his death (pictured in 2012)
Gemma Collins, 39, led the tributes as she penned on Instagram alongside a photo of the pair: ‘ALWAYS A GENTLEMAN. Absolutely shocked and saddened by the news. My thoughts and prayers are going out to Kirk family and friends absolutely tragic.
‘The memories of the early days the sugar hut and the wonderful filming parties you put on will never be forgotten. You never know what someone is going through you was one of the good guys.’
James Argent, 33, who was an original TOWIE cast member when the show launched in 2010- a year before Mick joined- wrote: ‘A true gentleman & a very kind man! RIP Mick. Many amazing memories, So Sad! My thoughts are with his family.’
Sad: Mick’s haunting last tweet was posted on Thursday morning at 7.17am, just hours before he was found. It said: ‘At the end remind yourself that you did the best you could’
Tragic: Gemma Collins, 39, led the tributes as she penned on Instagram alongside a photo of the pair: ‘ALWAYS A GENTLEMAN. Absolutely shocked and saddened by the news’
Lauren Goodger, 36, shared three broken heart emojis while Jess Wright, 35, said: ‘Terribly, terribly sad. Always such a gentleman and so kind. Devastated for him and his family.’
Mario Falcone, who starred on the show between 2011 to 2018 posted a broken heart emoji, as did Elliott Wright, 41, who appeared on TOWIE between 2010 and 2017.
Mario, 32, later tweeted: ‘RIP my friend. You were the perfect gentlemen and I am thankful I got the privilege of having you in my life’.
Always remembered: ‘The memories of the early days the sugar hut and the wonderful filming parties you put on will never be forgotten’, Gemma said
Jamie Reed, who had a brief stint on the reality series as Amber Turner’s boyfriend, chimed: ‘Very sad. RIP’.
Whilst Bobby Norris penned: ‘Just a reminder in case your mind is playing tricks on you today.
‘You matter. You’re important. You’re loved. And your presence on this earth makes a difference whether you see it or not.’
Devastating loss: Dozens of Mick’s celebrity pals shared their heartache on social media
Ex On The Beach star Jess Impiazzi typed: ‘Please don’t ever feel like no one is there or wants to listen, you matter! You’re loved! And the world is better with you in it. There is always light at the end of the tunnel! I promise.’
Love Island’s Cara De La Hoyde and former Big Brother star Imogen Thomas also posted broken heart emojis.
Mick’s death was confirmed by Essex Police. A spokesman told MailOnline: ‘We were called to an address in Bulphan shortly before 3.15pm on Thursday 21 January.
‘Sadly, a man inside was pronounced dead.
‘His death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.’
Mick made his TOWIE debut in 2011 during the show’s second season. His son Kirk was part of the original cast when the show began a year prior.
Millionaire lifestyle: The businessman was introduced as Sugar Hut’s owner (pictured with Ricky Rayment, Mario Falcone, James Argent, Joey Essex, Bobby Norris)
Reality series: Mick’s son Kirk (far left) was part of the original cast when in launched in 2010 (the cast pictured at Sugar Hut in 2011)
The businessman was introduced as Sugar Hut’s owner, a nightclub in Brentwood which was a popular filming location for the show.
During his time on the show, Mick caught the attention of Gemma Collins, 39, who soon developed a crush on the businessman.
The bubbly blonde cooked an apple pie and left it on the doorstep of his £3.4million home in the hope of winning his affections.
Storyline: During his time on the show, Mick caught the attention of Gemma Collins, 39, who soon developed a crush on the businessman (here she is pictured in one of her first scenes)
Offering: The bubbly blonde cooked an apple pie and left it on the doorstep of his £3.4million home in the hope of winning his affections
One of his most notable storylines was when, at a pool party for the second series finale, Gemma was convinced Mick was bringing a bottle of champagne over to her but was instead snubbed when the Sugar Hut owner walked past her and presented the bubbly to Lauren Goodger’s sister Nicola.
The pair continued to feud over the years, with Mick at one point banning Gemma from Sugar Hut.
However it appears the pair made it up once the property developer left the show.
Mick previously said he regretted reducing the boutique owner to tears in an interview with The Sun that year.
He said at the time: ‘I had no idea that Gemma was so upset. I think someone may have told her I was going to come over to her rather than Nicola.
‘But I never meant to hurt her. I hate the thought of upsetting anyone.’
Mick went on to have a brief romance with Maria Fowler, who also starred on the show and was 13 years his junior.
Mick quit The Only Way Is Essex in 2013, after being left furious the nightclub was being used a battleground on the show.
Sugar Hut became known for its high-publicised feuds on the show with huge rows between central characters such as Mark Wright and Lauren Goodger, as well as former on-off couple Chloe Sims and Mark’s cousin Elliott.
He told The Sun at the time of his departure: ‘My club is an upmarket venue where people come to drink champagne and feel spoiled.
‘All these rows they keep filming don’t show the club in a good light and I’m worried it’s putting people off coming, which is the last thing I want.’
Mick described his time on TOWIE as ‘very demanding’ and ‘what it did to me as a person was quite a strange thing’ as he struggled from being ‘somebody nobody really knows’ to ‘a household name so to speak’.
He said during an interview with Echo News about why he joined TOWIE in 2018 that ‘it was a decision I took just to try to manoeuvre the business – the Sugar Hut – in the right way, I needed it to be portrayed in the right light and being part of the show that was the only way I could do that.’
After his stint on the programme, Mick went on to develop his property portfolio and bought The Grand Hotel in Leigh.
Reality star: Mick made his TOWIE debut in 2011 during the show’s second season. His son Kirk was part of the original cast when the show began a year prior
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