BBC presenter Nina Warhurst left fans in tears after opening up about her father and how his ill-health has affected her.

The TV star, who has worked alongside Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, is best known for her presenting role on BBC Breakfast. However, the 44-year-old journalist stunned her followers when she revealed she was set to leave the show after 10 years. Now, she has offered fans an insight into her private life with a heart-breaking Instagram post that pays tribute to her dad. Nina revealed that her father, Chris, was diagnosed with mixed dementia, which is Alzheimer's and vascular dementia, in 2022.

Uploading a selfie on her official account, she wrote, "I don’t think I really became a proper grownup until we had to look after my Dad. Because of dementia, I lost the home I could go to and still be a child. I lost one of those few pillars of people who I knew would love me, whatever. I thought that support was lost.

"But now I know that just being with him is enough. I don’t know if it’s primal, hormonal, chemical, emotional….. but leaning my head on his chest and closing my eyes for a few minutes gives me the sense of safety and love that I’ve always had and that I still need. We don’t chat and laugh and sing as much as we did, even up to last year…. But this is what we have left. And it’s enough."

Many of her followers flooded the comments section with emotional words of support. One person said, "Sending love to you Nina. cherish every moment with your dad. We know how hard it is but he will still feel your love. We’ll keep fighting for a cure."

A second person also commented, "I lost my dad twenty years ago on my 27th birthday. Of course your dad loves you, and you’re still his little girl. Cherish every moment with him because each moment is special."

A third also typed, "Oh Nina you are lovely…gosh to be held and hugged by my father again …to feel that love …..you keep leaning Nina bless your heart."

Nina recently announced her last shift doing the Money and Work job on BBC Breakfast. The 44-year-old expressed that she "cried" on her final day, and her co-star paid tribute to her in an emotional Instagram post.