Bobby Davro has lost his father at the age of 95 just weeks after pleading for him to "hold on" until the new year.
The comedian, 62, had been banned from visiting dad Bill Nankeville at the care home he'd moved to after his health began to decline.
Under strict coronavirus rules, Bobby was unable to see or comfort his dad as he grew more frail as the months went on.
Breaking the sad news in a Twitter message, Bobby paid tribute to his "hero" dad, a former Olympian who represented Great Britain in the 1948 and 1952 Games.
Sharing a picture of them at a dinner, with Bill's arm proudly flung around his son's shoulders, Bobby wrote: "Today I lost my best friend and my hero.
"The most wonderful human being I have ever known. I'm so proud of him. He was GB mile champion and represented his country in two Olympic games but to me he was just "Dad".
"I will miss him so very much and I will love him forever," he added.
"Whenever I was with him and he was introduced to anyone as 'This is Bill Nankeville he's Bobby Davro's father' I was always proud to say 'No...I'm Bobby Davro and I'm Bill Nankeville's son!' Sleep well dad. I love you to the moon and back."
The tragic news comes just weeks after Bobby admitted his fears for Bill's health and his hopes his dad could "hold on" for a bit longer until the Covid-19 pandemic stopped raging.
He said the global health crisis had robbed both men of precious time together and said Bill was "fading as the days go by".
"My dad had to move into a care home because he started to get weaker and needed full-time care. And because of that I can’t see him," Bobby told the Daily Star Sunday just last month.
"This has been the worst year of my life. Talking about it upsets me."
Bobby explained how his dad couldn't even have health tests he needed because of the strict Covid guidelines, adding: "I just hope he can hold on."
"I don’t like to think about it. My poor old dad – I love him so much. He is my hero," he continued.
"I hope he has a few more months. If he got the virus he wouldn't stand a chance."
The pair were able to stay in touch with regularly scheduled phone calls, and Bobby said at the time he hoped to be able to meet up for some precious face-to-face time on Christmas Eve.
But months of being kept apart took its toll on Bobby, who said at the time he had been left feeling "sad, angry and disillusioned" during the pandemic.
He said he had been taking comfort from his four children and "incredible" friends who had supported him during this difficult time.
