The late great Shane Warne might have been known as the quintessential Aussie bloke, born and bred in Melbourne where his life was all about cricket and footy.
WATCH BELOW: Shane Warne’s daughter Brooke speaks at his memorial service
But he also spent a good chunk of time in England. First, he played club cricket in his youth, and post-retirement he took any opportunity to sit in a commentary box in the UK to be close to his former fiancée, British star Elizabeth Hurley.
“Shane adored the UK. Some of his best memories were made in London, and when things were good between him and Liz, there was no place he’d rather be,” says an insider.
Now, three months on from his tragic death from a heart attack in Thailand, his two eldest kids, Brooke and Jackson, have taken a trip to England in memory of their dad.
The pair were spotted with Brooke’s partner Alex Heath, and Jackson’s girlfriend Kiah Broadsmith in London.
Sources say the visit is a joint birthday trip for Brooke, who turned 25 last week, and Jackson, who celebrated his 23rd birthday in May.
“It’s no surprise Brooke and Jackson would’ve wanted to go somewhere that was so special to their dad,” says a source.
“Shane made such a fuss of those kids on their birthday, so this year has been very hard to cope with. Retracing Shane’s steps in London, a place where he had endless fun, seems right.”
Our insider said it’s “likely” the kids would’ve caught up with Elizabeth, 57, who was engaged to Shane from 2011 to 2013.
“Shane and Liz still cared about each other, which Brooke and Jackson knew,” says the source.
“Liz has an intense schedule that often means she’s away, but if she’s in London she’d love to see them. She is still racked with grief over Shane’s death, so sharing a hug and a cry with Brooke and Jackson would do her the world of good after months of throwing herself into work to cope with the pain.”
Sadly, Liz and her son Damian were unable to attend Shane’s funeral or state memorial service.
However, she sent the kids her love and later dedicated an International Women’s Day post to Brooke and Shane’s youngest daughter Summer, 20.
Describing them as “brave” and “beautiful”, Liz wrote: “I love you both so much and have the happiest memories of our times together. Your daddy loved you with all his heart.”
It’s not known what has become of Shane’s million-dollar home in the city’s Maida Vale. Some insiders speculate that if the property is still in the family’s possession, Brooke and Jackson might be staying there.
Liz’s son, Damian Hurley, honoured Shane in a touching Instagram tribute to celebrate UK Father’s Day recently.
As well as celebrating his “beautiful Dad” entrepreneur Arun Nayar, who was Liz’s former husband and helped raise young Damian, the 20-year-old model posted a gallery of “some favourite men in my life” including Warnie and four of his six godfathers – Elton John, Hugh Grant, David Furnish and fashion designer Patrick Cox.
Noticeably absent from the slideshow tribute was Damian’s biological father Steve Bing, who died in 2020.
Liz fell pregnant following a short-lived romance, and Steve initially denied Damian’s paternity until a DNA test proved otherwise.
Damian was famously left out of Steve’s $330 million will.
Damian was heartbroken at Shane’s death earlier this year. On social media, he posted that the cricketer was “a father figure to mefor most of my formative years and was truly one [of] the best men I’ve ever known”.
