Cruse welcomes Bake Off’s Chigs Parmar as ambassador

Cruse Bereavement Support has announced that 2021 Great British Bake Off Finalist, Chigs Parmar, has become its newest ambassador.

Parmar said he chose to support Cruse “because grief is a cause close to his heart”, having lost his uncle to suicide at the age of 12, followed by the death of his father nine months later.

After the trauma of witnessing his father’s sudden death at home, Parmar said he had to cope with other big changes, such as moving in with his auntie, grandparents and cousins, and going back to school, where some children used his experiences to taunt him.

He said he wasn’t able to cope with such significant losses at such a young age, and buried his grief.

Some 25 years later, Parmar sought help for his grief through therapy, where he “learned to work through a tsunami of emotion and reconnect with happy memories”. He has now joined Cruse to help others get support.

He said: “If you don’t grieve it will eventually come and bite you in the ass… Use your grief to fuel you to do better and make your life count. It was important to me to be a part of a charity that I fully relate to, to get the message out there that there is light at the end of the tunnel. 

“I want people to know it’s important to go on your own grief journey, and then talk when you are ready. That’s why I am proud and excited to be joining Cruse as an ambassador – they allow you to explore your grief in your own time, in your own way.”

Steven Wibberley, Cruse CEO, added: “We are delighted to welcome Chigs as a new ambassador for Cruse. His personal story of loss is a very sad reminder that grief can affect anyone at any age. At Cruse, we know just how important is it for people to come forward and get support when they are struggling, no matter when their loved one died – and is our hope that with Chigs’ help, we will be able to reach more people who need that support.”