Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan are set to be reunited for Christmas after eight months apart working this year, but their happy reunion is set to be tinted with a touch of sadness, after Mark revealed that his beloved dog Scunny has passed away.
Taking to social media to share the news with his fans, Mark posted a picture on his Instagram stories of himself with the pup and wrote: 'RIP angel Scunny! Gone but never forgotten.'
Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan's dogs are very special to the couple, who treat their pups as members of their family.
Posting on her Instagram a couple of weeks ago, Michelle described her dogs as like her children writing 'Not long now babies, mummy's home soon' when referring to finally flying back to the UK after filming abroad for most of this year.
Mark has also previously spoken about how special the couple's dogs are to them, revealing the devastating impact Scunny's death will have had on their tight-knit family unit.
'My dogs are like my kids,' Mark previously confessed to Star magazine.
'We have lots of family dogs who all live together. My chihuahua is called Wrighty and the two miniature dachshunds are called Scunny and Milly. Michelle's dog Phoebe, does amazing tricks, like rolling over and high fives.'
'My dogs make me feel so happy,' he added. 'Every time I see them the baby voice comes out. As soon as I pull up on the drive, I can't wait to get through the door to see them.'
Before receiving the devastating news of his dog's death, Mark had been looking forward to flying home to be with wife Michelle Keegan and the rest of his family for Christmas after months apart.
The couple have endured a largely long distance relationship this year after both jetting off to opposite sides of the world for work and to pursue their dream careers.
Last month, Michelle shared her excitement at the thought of finally returning home for the festive season after months in Asia filming for the BBC series Our Girl.
'Being in Malaysia and seeing Christmas adverts!!! Oh my god! Excited isn't even the word! Countdown is ON!' the star tweeted along with the hashtag '#flyinghomeforxmas'
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