'Genuinely lovely man with a huge heart' - Blackpool's Jordan Wylie pays tribute Celebrity Hunted 'star'
“He was a genuinely lovely man, with a huge heart and some absolutely first-class banter.”
Blackpool-born adventurer and bestselling author Jordan Wylie MBE has paid tribute to a man who acted as a getaway driver in the most recent series of Celebrity Hunted.
Wylie took to social media to post about Kevin Cox after his sudden death from cardiac arrest at the age of 59, explaining that the final episode of Channel 4’s Celebrity Hunted on Tuesday was a particularly poignant one.
In the episode, Wylie questions Kevin for information regarding the whereabouts of Strictly Come Dancing stars Amy Dowden and Carlos Gu, with Kevin having successfully acted as a getaway driver for the pair, who eventually went on to win the show.
-with-Kevin-Cox-(centre).jpeg?trim=0,0,0,0&width=640&quality=65)
Wylie said viewers saw the tense exchanges between the pair, but not the friendship and laughter that took place away from the cameras. “What you didn’t see was what happened when the cameras stopped rolling. I had the pleasure of meeting Kev’s family and sharing plenty of laughs with him,” Wylie said. “He was a genuinely lovely man, with a huge heart and some absolutely first-class banter.”
Kevin sadly never got the opportunity to see his television debut. Following Tuesday’s episode, his wife Debbie contacted Wylie and shared a photograph, telling him how proud the family had been while watching Kevin on screen.
All the latest news and top stories from across Blackpool and the Fylde coast directly to your phone.
Never miss a thing. Click here to join
Wylie said the programme had been an emotional experience for the family, but that Kevin’s appearance had also brought happiness during a difficult time. “She sent me this photo and told me how proud they all were watching him, and how, amongst the tears, he managed to put smiles back on their faces,” said Wylie.
Wylie believes Kevin also made an impression on viewers across the country. “I think he put a smile on plenty of faces across the nation too,” he said, adding that he believed Kevin would have enjoyed the final episode having played a role in helping Dowden and Gu evade the Hunters.
“After giving us Hunters the run-around, Kev played his part in helping Amy and Carlos go on to become winners of the show. I reckon he would have absolutely loved that,” said Wylie. “Rest in peace, Kev. I hope you were somewhere up there last night laughing at us all. You were one of the stars of the show without a doubt.”