Gogglebox star George Gilbey's grieving mother Linda reveals his last words to her were 'I love you' - before he fell 80ft to his death through a skylight

The devastated mother of dead Gogglebox star George Gilbey has revealed that his last words to her before he died were: 'I love you.'

Linda McGarry, who starred on the hit Channel 4 show with her son, said the 40-year-old dad of one rang her hours before he fell through the plastic skylight of a warehouse roof. 

Linda, 74, told the Sun: 'He was happy. He ended the call with 'I love you'. I treasure those words.' 

He was working building jobs to earn enough cash to move closer to his daughter, and was struggling financially at the time of his death. 

She said: 'He phoned me at 9.30 on the morning and said he was working — and asked me for his 'breakfast money'.

'I put £30 in his account so he could get food, and he seemed fine.

'He had a drink the night before, and liked a bottle of white wine or two, but was happy that he was working.'

George, who lived with Linda, was on a carer's allowance of just £190 per month, after she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. 

He was raising money to move close to his daughter Amelie, who lives with her mother Gemma Conway in Twickenham, south west London. 

'He was going to rent from his friend, Skippy, near to Amelie in Twickenham.

'George was on great terms with Gemma and wanted to do things like pick Amelie up from school.

'He wanted to be with Amelie, who he adored.

'They were on the third day of a job that was going to last a month, and he was going to get money together from that.

'When they were together, George and Amelie were always laughing. She is going to miss him terribly, like we all will.'

Earlier this month, it was revealed Gilbey had been working on a roof when he fell 80ft to his death through a plastic skylight. 

The 40-year-old sustained traumatic injuries to his head and torso and died at the scene in Shoeburyness, Essex, on March 27, the hearing in Chelmsford was told.

Essex senior coroner Lincoln Brookes opened then suspended the inquest, pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.

Coroner's officer Deborah Frost said Mr Gilbey had been 'working on a roof when he fell through a plastic skylight, landing on the ground below'.

She said that paramedics and police attended but that he died at the scene, with his provisional cause of death recorded as 'traumatic injury to head and torso consistent with fall from height'.

Gilbey worked as an electrician, according to LinkedIn, and ran his own company, WindG Ltd, in Clacton.

The reality star also appeared on the 14th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, reaching the final.

Coroner Mr Brookes said he had received a written request from Essex Police to suspend inquest proceedings pending the outcome of a criminal investigation, and he granted this request.

He said the matter would be reviewed in four months' time.

A man, aged in his 40s and from the Witham area of Essex, was previously arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the incident.

He was later released by police under investigation.

Channel 4 led the tributes to George, who they described as 'part of the Gogglebox family'.

Fellow TV personality Ricci Guarnaccio, who entered the Big Brother house the same year, wrote: 'Breaks my heart but George Gilbey you are well and truly going to be missed my friend.

'Always lit up the room, cared for others & the memories we made I'll cherish for ever brother. From CBB to speaking to you last week, I'm going to hugely miss you ma boiii! Love you GG.'