Share
11th January 2025
11:23am GMT
Former child star Rory Callum Sykes has died at the age of 32 in the terrible LA wildfires currently raging across California.
Sykes was born in West Yorkshire, UK but raised in New South Wales, Australia where he lived an extraordinary life despite the challenges he was born with.
The star who was born blind and with cerebral palsy performed on the stage and screen as a child, hosting the British RTV show Kiddy Kapers and performing Singing in the Rain at the Sydney Opera House.
His mum, Dr Shelly Sykes, confirmed his death in a social media post after the fire engulfed their Mount Malibu TV Studio estate on January 8.
She claimed that the local Las Virgenes Municipal Water company had "switched off" the water supply during the blaze.
She recalled: "I couldn’t put out the cinders on his roof with a hose because the water was switched off.
"Even the 50 brave firefighters had no water all day! He will be incredibly missed."
It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of my beautiful son @Rorysykes to the Malibu fires yesterday. I’m totally heart broken. British born Australian living in America, a wonderful son, a gift born on mine & his grandmas birthday 29 July 92, Rory Callum… pic.twitter.com/X77xyk83gx
— Shelley Sykes (@shelleysykes) January 9, 2025
As flames encroached, Dr Sykes made repeated calls to emergency services only to find the lines unresponsive.
Desperate to save her son, she drove to the nearest fire station, leaving Rory behind in their self-contained cottage.
She told 10 News: "When the fire department brought me back, his cottage was burnt to the ground."
The death toll from the LA wildfires currently stands at 11 but Sykes death has yet to be added to that figure as authorities must first locate his remains.
In recent years, Sykes became an online gamer, philanthropist, and public speaker, dedicating his life to helping others.
In 2005, he co-founded the Happy Charity with his mother, raising funds for sick children worldwide.
The fires continue to rage across the city with the latest figures showing that 10,000 structures have been destroyed and more than 180,000 residents have been forced to evacuate.
Explore more on these topics:
