LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION host Phil Spencer has spoken out about the sad death of both his parents.
The TV presenter lost his mother and father after a driving accident in August 2023.
Who were Phil Spencer’s parents Richard and Anne?
Phil’s parents were called Richard and Anne, though his father went by the name David.
They were parents to Phil and his three siblings, Robert, Caryn, and Helen, and grandparents to eight grandchildren.
Richard worked as a farmer and ran a holiday cottage near their home at Littlebourne, near Canterbury, Kent, before passing it onto son Robert.
Phil’s father attended Uppingham, the top public school in Rutland, as a boy.
Phil and his brother Robert would go on to attend the same school, with chef Rick Stein and actor Stephen Fry also being former pupils.
Richard was 89 and Anne was 82 when the passed away on Friday, August 18, 2023.
What happened to Richard and Anne Spencer?
Richard and Anne died after being involved in a car accident.
The couple were on their way to have lunch at a local pub when their vehicle got into trouble.
Their car ended up in shallow tributary river that runs through their estate after veering off the access road.
Neighbours witnessed police and the fire brigade racing to the scene and an air ambulance later arrived.
Richard and Anne were both pulled out of the car and taken to hospital.
Richard was pronounced dead upon arriving at hospital and Anne died a short time later.
A woman in her 60s was also in the car with the couple and suffered minor injuries.
What has Phil Spencer said about his parents?
Shortly after the news of his parents’ death broke, Phil took to social media to pay tribute to Richard and Anne and give his followers more insight as to what happened to them.
He revealed that his family were “trying to hold onto the fact Mum and Dad went together and that neither will ever have to mourn the loss of the other one,” saying that was “a blessing in itself.”
Sharing heartbreaking details about the crash, Phil said that his mother and father’s car was going “very slowly” when it “toppled over a bridge on the farm drive, upside down into the river.”
He continued: “There were no physical injuries and I very much doubt they would have even fought it – they would have held hands under the water and quietly slipped away.
“Their carer was in the car and managed to climb out of a back window so the alarm was raised quite quickly.”
Phil revealed his brother, a farmer, had tried to save their parents at the scene and managed to pull them out of the river after cutting them loose from their seatbelts.
In his statement, presenter Phil revealed his mother had Parkinson’s disease and his dad’s dementia “had been worsening” before the crash.
He concluded his statement by saying: “It feels horrendous right now, but after almost 60 years of marriage – to die together on the farm they so loved will, I know, be a comfort in the future.
“Mum and Dad are together which is precisely where they would have wanted to be.”
Phil’s long-time co-presenter and friend Kirstie Allsopp also took to Instagram to share a moving tribute to Richard and Anne.
She shared her message in the caption of a picture of the late couple, saying: “This lovely photograph, recently taken at their home in Kent, is of Anne & David Spencer, I am desperately sad to have to say that they were both killed yesterday in a car accident near their home.
“They were farmers, animal lovers & devoted parents to Robert, Caryn, Helen & Philip and adored their 8 Grandchildren, the only blessing is that they died together, so will never have to mourn the loss of each other.
“I suspect many of you may want to join me in sending so much love to Phil and all his family. Please keep them in your thoughts & prayers, Thank you.”
