“It was an honour to have met her": Beloved TV star passes away at 96
<p>Australia is mourning the loss of one of its most beloved television personalities, Emmie Silbery, who has passed away at the age of 96 following a long battle with dementia.</p>
<p>Emmie captured the hearts of viewers nationwide as a cherished member of the Silbery family trio on <em>Gogglebox Australia</em>, alongside her daughter Kerry and granddaughter Isabelle. On Monday, a heartbroken Isabelle confirmed the news of Emmie’s death with a deeply emotional tribute on Instagram.</p>
<p>“Our Emmie, waited for me to come home for one last snuggle,” Isabelle wrote. “Her last words, ‘I’m ready to hang up now’.”</p>
<p>Fans knew Emmie for her warmth, wit and wisdom, and for many, she felt like a member of their own family. Her presence on screen from 2015 brought generations together, and her absence in recent seasons was sorely felt.</p>
<p>“She was 96, an orphan, a nurse, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, the oldest woman on TV, a great grandmother, an author and so much more,” Isabelle continued in her post. “Thank you for loving her as much as we did and will forever. Have a big rest now — you deserve it. Xxxxx.”</p>
<p>Tributes have since poured in from across the country, with fellow <em>Gogglebox</em> cast members and Aussie celebrities expressing their grief and gratitude for having known her.</p>
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<p>“Beautiful Emmie. Words can’t describe what you meant to so many of us,” wrote Angie Kent. “Thank you for the countless laughs, tears, goosebumps and memories! Rest now. Your girls are so loved and looked after.”</p>
<p>“It was an honour to have met her. She was a truly special woman. May she rest in peace,” commented Matty Fahd.</p>
<p>Longtime co-stars Lee and Keith Riley described their heartbreak in a poignant message: “Our hearts are so heavy with sadness. Emmie was our adopted grandmother to Keith and I as we lost our grandparents years ago. You told us so many stories about your life and now they are memories for us to keep. Rest in peace, sweetheart you’ll never be far from our hearts.”</p>
<p>Australian media figures also offered their condolences. Lisa Wilkinson wrote: “I’m so sad to hear the news Isabelle. What a beautiful, talented, giving soul she was, and so loved by us all. I hope she knew that. Glad you got that last snuggle. Sending love to you and your wonderful mum.”</p>
<p>Actress Pia Miranda added: “I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending you and your family all the love. She was an icon.”</p>
<p>In February 2023, Emmie officially stepped back from the show following her dementia diagnosis. At the time, her family shared the sad news with fans in a heartfelt message, saying, “It’s been a very challenging time for our family and we’ve had to make some difficult decisions. Emmie has been diagnosed with dementia and we wanted to be transparent about this as many families experience it.”</p>
<p>Despite her declining health, Emmie made a touching final appearance in January this year during a cast reunion, where she was embraced by her co-stars in an emotional and affectionate gathering.</p>
<p>“It was great to see our darling Emmie again,” wrote Lee and Keith in a video post from the day, showing the joy and love she continued to inspire, even in her final chapter.</p>
<p>A symbol of strength, humour and family, <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Emmie Silbery's</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> passing leaves a deep void in the hearts of those who knew her, both on and off screen.</span></p>
<p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>