A “devastated” British politician and former I’m A Celebrity contestant has revealed the sudden death of his husband at their home in Oslo.
Brian Paddick (64), a Liberal Democrat, former London mayoral candidate and also deputy deputy commissioner in London’s Metropolitan Police Service until his retirement in 2007, announced the death of Petter Belsvik on Monday.
He said the cause of his husband’s death was not “immediately clear” and that it would “take time to determine what happened”.
“My beautiful, loving husband, Petter Belsvik, passed away suddenly at our home in Oslo,” Lord Paddick wrote in a message to his Twitter followers on Monday.
“He was found peacefully alone, the cause of death was not immediately clear. It will take some time to determine what happened. We were committed to each other and I’m devastated,” he added.
His Twitter announcement was met with an outpouring of congratulations, tributes and condolences.
Brian Paddick (right), 64, a Liberal Democrat who also served as deputy assistant commissioner in London’s Metropolitan Police Service until his retirement in 2007, announced the death of Petter Belsvik (pictured left) on Monday. He said Mr. Belsvik died at their home in Oslo
Lord Paddick (pictured right in both photos) said the cause of his husband’s death was not “immediately clear” and it would “take time to establish what happened”.
Broadcaster Kay Burley wrote: “My dear Brian, this is truly tragic news. All my thoughts are with you. stay strong xxx.”
Peer and Conservative politician Lord Bethell tweeted in response: “How terrible! I’m sorry. Many prayers and good vibes to you.”
And former BBC Home Office correspondent and journalist Danny Shaw wrote: “So sorry to hear that Brian. What a terrible shock. Thinking of you.”
It is clear that Mr. Belsvik was a civil engineer from Oslo. The couple met in a bar while on holiday in Ibiza and married a few years later in Norway in 2009.
Same-sex marriage was legalized in the country eight days earlier, and their marriage was one of the first high-profile unions to be sealed after the law was introduced.
In a 2008 article for the Daily Mail, Paddick told the story of how the couple first met, describing Belsvik as “a wonderful man: intelligent and witty, but with a calm demeanor that was the perfect counterpoint for mine.” form volatility. He is very easy to love’.
“I was running my own business on holiday in Ibiza when I met Petter. It was inevitably my last day and after spending only 24 hours together we parted ways believing I would never see him again.
But then came divine intervention – well, not quite: it was Madonna. She played at Wembley Arena in London and my Norwegian holiday love came to see her.
“I suggested in a hasty moment that he could save on the cost of a hotel by staying with me. It was a gamble, but it was the best weekend I’ve ever spent with someone.’
Well wishes and condolences poured in after Paddick’s tragic Twitter post
FILE: Brian Paddick and partner Petter Belsvik ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’ TV show, Australia – December 2, 2008
FILE: Liberal Democrat MP Brian Paddick and husband Petter Belsvik (who is married in Norway) at the Pride London Gay Pride Parade 2013
The late Petter Belsvik is pictured with his husband Brian Paddick
Lord Paddick was a contestant on the eighth season of ITV1’s reality TV show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here which aired in 2008.
The couple hugged and kissed after Paddick left the jungle.
Speaking at the Liberal Democrat debate on equal marriage in Britain in 2010, Paddick said the “real impact of [marriage rather than a civil partnership]The symbolism, the meaning of it, didn’t really impress me until we were in court at the court in Oslo and she said…we are here today to witness Brian and Petter’s wedding.
And it was a very moving experience. We really feel, me and my husband, that we are really equal because we are married,” he said at the time.
Paddick, who was knighted in September 2013, served with the force for more than 30 years before retiring as the Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner in May 2007.
He was responsible for a number of changes in policing priorities and methods in London, most notably in the early 2000s when, in his role as Lambeth Police Commissioner, he ordered police officers to stop arresting people on minor charges of marijuana possession to become police tools for free for more effective crimes.
He ran as the Lib Dem candidate for Mayor of London in 2008 and 2012, losing to Boris Johnson, and later became an advocate of diversity in leadership.
Following the disturbing revelations about ex-officer David Carrick, who recently admitted a string of rape and sexual assault charges, Paddick wrote an article in The Mail on Sunday last month in which he claimed that senior Met police officers were committing violent crimes commit. and racist police officers he reprimanded or fired.
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
