Sam Neill‘s family have been left in mourning after announcing his death on Monday.

The actor died at the age of 78 just months after revealing he was ‘cancer-free’, with his loved ones revealing the death was ‘sudden and unexpected’. 

Yet one small comfort Sam’s family can take from his tragic passing is that they were able to be with him at the end, with a statement revealing that ‘Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life’.

The Jurassic Park star was incredibly close to his family, as a father-of-four and grandfather-of-eight. 

He had spoken at length about the importance of family, having missed out on 25 years of bonding with his eldest son Andrew, whom he put up for adoption in 1969. 

Sam was in his early 20s at the time and didn’t think he was ‘capable’ of fatherhood, but later in life his perspective changed and he reunited with Andrew after the pair ‘went looking for each other’. 

By the time he reunited with his adopted son Andrew in 1994, Sam had three more children (Sam is pictured in a throwback snap with his second son Tim) 

The Jurassic Park star was incredibly close to his family, as a father-of-four and grandfather-of-eight (pictured having lunch with his family) 

He told The Times in 2014: ‘No one has all the answers on how to be a good parent. I’ve got a slightly unusual family; it’s more extended than most. 

‘My first son, Andrew, was given up for adoption when he was very small. I was quite small, too – in my early twenties. I didn’t see him for 25 years and then we went looking for each other.’

The Peaky Blinders actor revealed the pair took a mature approach to their reunion, continuing: ‘These reunions are portrayed as sentimental and grisly, but there is nothing sentimental about it. No one sobs in anyone’s arms; it’s much more grown-up…

‘You’re more capable than you think. If I could give my 20-year-old self any piece of advice, it would be that.’

By the time they reunited, in 1994, Sam had three more children. 

He welcomed son Tim in 1983 with his first wife Lisa Harrow, who he met on the set of Omen III. They were married for 11 years before their divorce in 1989.

That same year, he married makeup artist Noriko Watanabe and they went on to welcome daughter Elena in 1991. 

Sam also adopted Noriko’s daughter Maiko during their marriage. The pair separated in 2017. 

The Sleeping Dogs star previously spoke about the struggles of raising girls, saying: ‘Daughters start as angels and then they turn into complete Frankenstein monsters!

‘When you despair at the unrecognisable creature in your house, know that one day it will turn into an angel again.’

He previously described his family life as being ‘somewhat haphazard, yet he still spent all the time he could with his children, and becoming a grandfather brought him ‘great joy’. 

Sam said on ABC: ‘Probably a lot of my parenting has been marked by absence for one reason or another, not the least of them being that my job entails travel a lot. 

‘I don’t have any tips myself as far as parenting is concerned. At the same time, I’m not going to beat myself up about it.

‘Now I have eight grandchildren. This has to stop! I mean, I’ve only just got a handle on all their names any more and I’ll be struggling. But they’re adorable.’

His son Tim added: ‘There are worse things a dad can do than be off working. He is a good dad. He’s a very good dad. He’s grandad. Grad, as we call him.’ 

When his daughter Maiko welcomed her first child in 2021, he shared a snap on Instagram and penned: ‘The Love. I don’t put family on media stuff. Except when they’re brand new.

‘This is my brand new grandson Nahlo, the bestest boy, two-weeks-old.

‘So chilled, no fuss. Just eats , sleeps and thinks about things. Parents blissed out, and everybody happy. Me particularly. The love.’ 

The Sleeping Dogs star previously spoke about the struggles of raising girls, saying: ‘Daughters start as angels and then they turn into complete Frankenstein monsters!’

Sam’s family were by his side as he battled stage-three blood cancer (pictured with son Tim) and said he wanted to get better so he could see his grandchildren grow up 

Sam’s family were by his side as he battled stage-three blood cancer.

He went public with his diagnosis in 2023 after being diagnosed the previous year, after initially experiencing swollen glands.

Sam told Australian Story at the time: ‘I’m not in any way frightened of dying. That doesn’t worry me. It’s never worried me from the beginning, but I would be annoyed.

‘I’d be annoyed because there are things I still want to do. Very irritating, dying. But I’m not afraid of it.’

‘We’ve built all these lovely terraces, we’ve got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And I’ve got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big.’

However, in April, Neil announced tests had found he was cancer free.

In an interview with Channel Seven, Neill detailed how close he came to death after chemotherapy stopped working. A costly, cutting-edge treatment prolonged his life.

He said: ‘I’ve been living with a particular type of lymphoma for about five years and I was on chemotherapy and the pretty miserable business, but it was keeping me alive.

‘Then the chemo stopped working. I was at a loss and it looked like I was on the way out, which wasn’t ideal obviously.’

Neill underwent a special treatment called CAR T-cell therapy, which genetically modifies a patient’s own T-cells to recognise and destroy cancer cells. Private treatment costs around $AUD540,000.

‘I’ve just had a scan just now and there is no cancer in my body, that’s an extraordinary thing. I’m very, very excited that this can happen,’ he said at the time.

The treatment is currently in clinical trials to treat another blood cancer, myeloma. 

Becoming a grandfather brought Sam ‘great joy’. When his daughter Naiko welcomed her first child in 2021, he shared a snap on Instagram and penned: ‘The Love’

Sam’s son Tim said: ‘There are worse things a dad can do than be off working. He is a good dad. He’s a very good dad. He’s grandad. Grad, as we call him’

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Yet on Monday, Neill’s family announced his shock death. 

Their statement read: ‘It is with immense sadness that the whānau (family) of Sam Neill share the news of his passing on Monday 13th July, in Sydney Australia. 

‘Sam was surrounded by family and passed with the dignity that has characterised his whole life.

‘The loss was sudden and unexpected but blessed by the fact that Sam remained cancer-free. 

‘The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the staff at St Vincent’s Private Hospital for their incredible care.

‘More details will be shared later, but for now, on behalf of the family, we ask that you respect their privacy as they navigate this immeasurable loss.’

The man told Coleen: ‘She’s rigid in her beliefs and her opinions do get to me’

Dear Coleen

I’m a man in my 20s and my parents don’t know I’m gay, as my mum in particular is ultra-religious and it wouldn’t go down well. I’m out to my mates and my siblings also know and are supportive, but I still can’t bring myself to have that conversation with my mum.

The thing is, she’s constantly at me about finding a girlfriend and the longer I’m without one, the worse it’s getting. I don’t know how to play this. I’m worried that I’ll snap one day and blurt it out.

Most of the time I can cope by ignoring it, as I don’t live at home and lead my life exactly how I want to, but when I visit her or we talk on the phone, the only thing she wants to know about is my love life.

I’m a grown man with a good job, so it feels ridiculous that I can’t deal with this, but you haven’t met my mum. She’s very rigid in her beliefs and her opinions do get to me. Any help on how to navigate this would be welcome.

Coleen says

I get it. It’s easy for people to say, “just be honest”, but it’s hard to do it when you’re anticipating a negative reaction and worried about how it might affect your relationship.

My mum was incredibly religious and a practising Catholic, but her beliefs didn’t mean more to her than her children.

I had a baby “out of wedlock” and my sister got pregnant by a guy my parents didn’t even know she was dating, but they didn’t cut us off. My sister got me to tell my parents she was pregnant so, by the time she spoke to them, the heat was taken out of it. Maybe this is where your siblings can help. Alternatively, you could ask one of them to speak to your parents first to lay the groundwork.

Maybe your mum suspects you’re gay and her asking questions about your love life might be her way of encouraging you to tell her. I have several gay friends who waited years to tell their parents and, when they did, the replies were along the lines of, “We know”.

Worst case scenario is she won’t understand or be accepting, which is so wrong but her issue to deal with, and over time with education and support, her attitude might change. There’s a great organisation called FFLAG (fflag.org.uk), which supports and guides families with LGBT+ loved ones.

Most importantly, if you do decide to tell her, do it when you’re in a good place and feel ready – there’s no rush. Get support from people who’ve been through it, as well as your siblings and friends. Good luck.

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Police in Australia have marked the 25th anniversary of the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio by releasing new images from their investigation, in the hope it ‘could lead police to Peter’s remains’.

Bradley John Murdoch was convicted in 2005 of murdering Mr Falconio, 28, and assaulting his girlfriend, Joanne Lees, at gunpoint on a remote stretch of road in Australia’s Northern Territory on July 14, 2001.

Mr Falconio and Ms Lees, both from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, were travelling across the country in a camper van when they were ambushed by Murdoch on the isolated Stuart Highway.

Murdoch was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for at least 28 years.

He died in prison last year after being diagnosed with terminal throat cancer in 2019, but never revealed the location of Mr Falconio’s remains.

To mark 25 years since Mr Falconio’s murder, Northern Territory Police have released previously unseen images from the case.

Northern Territory Police Force commissioner Martin Dole APM said the force would exhaust every possibility to find Mr Falconio’s remains and bring closure to his loved ones.

‘This was a traumatic and horrific event for Ms Lees, and for Peter’s family who have now gone such a long time without the answers they deserve,’ he said.

‘While a murderer has been held accountable for his crimes, this investigation can never be considered closed until Peter’s remains are found and his family can lay him to rest.

‘It is deeply regrettable that Murdoch died without, as far as we know, ever disclosing the location of Peter’s remains. His cowardly silence has denied his family, friends and loved ones the closure they deserve.’

He continued: ‘Twenty-five years is a significant milestone, and the Northern Territory Police Force remains committed to bringing this investigation to its fullest conclusion and will continue to pursue every avenue available.

‘The release of new footage could lead police to Peter’s remains. There may still be someone who knows something, whether that be information they have never previously shared with the police or something Murdoch said to them.

‘We continue to urge anyone with information relating to the location of Peter Falconio’s remains to come forward. No piece of information is too small; what may seem insignificant could prove critical in helping investigators finally resolve this case.’

A reward of up to 500,000 Australian dollars (£260,000) has been offered for any information that leads directly to the discovery of Mr Falconio’s remains.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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According to media reports, the feud began after a fallout between Ross McGill, the former head of Rangers Football Club’s ultras fan group the Union Bears, and convicted Edinburgh drug dealer Mark Richardson – who is currently in prison.

The force said it responded to 84 incidents of violence and disorder, arrested 64 people and executed 55 search and arrest warrants.

Seven firearms and “assorted weapons” were recovered, and over 90 safeguarding plans were put in place to protect vulnerable people caught up in the feud.

Of the Operation Portaledge cases which have come to court, several have resulted in lengthy jail sentences.

Arran Reid was imprisoned for eight years and four months after admitting carrying out a machete attack on an Edinburgh businessman linked to Richardson.

One resident said they find it ‘completely unacceptable’

Residents said it is “deeply concerning” that their post has not been delivered in weeks, after experiencing similar delays earlier this year. People who live in the Hampton area of Peterborough claim they have not had post delivered for weeks, with some claiming they haven’t received any letters in more than a month.

As a result of the delay, people said they are missing important letters such as birthday cards and medical appointments. Sheila White, who has not received post in around two weeks, said she finds the delays “deeply concerning” and “completely unacceptable”.

She added: “I was waiting for important insurance documents, which I ended up having to contact the company to ensure continuity of the cover. In the UK, we have always had a reliable postal service upon which many people depend.

“Elderly people who can’t manage or cope with technology are now isolated and unable to rely on receiving relevant communications by post, which means they are potentially missing medical or other significant information and appointments.”

Sheila’s husband also did not receive a Father’s Day card from his daughter, which left him feeling “forgotten and sad”. Sheila added: “The excuse of lack of staff is utterly irrelevant. It’s their responsibility to deliver the service they are supposed to provide.”

A Royal Mail spokesperson said it recognises how “important reliable deliveries are”, when people are waiting for letters such as for medical appointments. They added: “We are delivering mail in Hampton. However, some deliveries have recently been affected by short-term local issues, including sickness absence.

“We are working to return the service to normal and clear any outstanding mail as quickly as possible, with items not delivered that day prioritised for the next working day.”

Phil Abbott, who lives in Hampton Vale, said he hasn’t received post in around five weeks. Due to the delay, he has missed “important medical appointments, business mail, birthday cards and bills to pay”. He said: “I think it’s absolutely disgraceful and a dereliction of contracted duties by Royal Mail.”

Phil said he believes there needs to be an improvement in communication from Royal Mail. He said: “Don’t just leave people hanging with no information. What are they doing to resolve the issue and what will they do to prevent it happening again?”

The last time Margaret Matthews received any post was around three weeks ago. She said she has missed insurance documents and believes the lack of post could affect elderly people who cannot access to the internet.

She said: “I’m 75 and quite computer savvy, and use them no problem. There are people who can’t because they have never used computers.”

Margaret believes there needs to be more regulation in place for the Royal Mail, as people pay for a “service”. She added: “Because it’s regulated, why are they not doing anything about it?

“It’s not just Peterborough, it’s nationwide. Surely they should be held to account for their responsibilities? They have got to get their staffing levels right.”

Kelvin Cowell said that after a couple of weeks with no post, he received a large load in one go. He said: “[This included] a new bank card, pin number, online banking details and a card reader for a new account, all of which were sent on different dates by the bank.

“Equally annoyingly, none of the post was recent, so who knows when that’ll start to turn up? It’s all well and good advising people to go to the sorting office and collect, but their hours aren’t great for those that work. We are paying for a delivery service and they’re clearly not meeting their commitments.”

Donna Spriggs hasn’t received letters in “up to four weeks”. She said: “When they did come, there was important mail that arrived late.

“[I have no] idea why we are not getting post regularly. They are saying we can collect from the sorting office, which we shouldn’t have to do and not everybody has transport.”

Samantha Mclennan is also frustrated that she hasn’t received post for “weeks and weeks”. She said: “I had to call them [Royal Mail] around two weeks ago as I was waiting on important hospital letters and important HMRC letters.

“They delivered approximately 15 letters about a week later, following my call. Some of the letters were dated May, and I’ve not received any post since then.”

The Royal Mail spokesperson said that it is “rare” for post to be delayed by a month or more. They added: “A delay of a month would be exceptionally unusual and would suggest an issue with an individual item rather than the wider service. Our latest performance shows that more than 92% of letters are delivered on time and over 99% within a week, meaning longer delays are rare.”