An emotional Nick Cummins talks about his terminally ill father Mark on SAS Australia

‘I want to try and prove to him that I’m deserving of his love’: An emotional Nick Cummins talks about his terminally ill father Mark and their rocky relationship on SAS Australia

Nick Cummins spoke about his relationship with his terminally ill father during a raw confessional on Monday’s episode of SAS Australia.

Sitting in front of his fellow recruits, the 33-year-old former rugby union player revealed his rocky relationship with his dad, Mark.

Nick revealed that when he was 13, he was ‘going through a pretty tough time at school’ and refused his dad’s help.

Emotional: Nick Cummins spoke about his relationship with his terminally ill father during a raw confessional on Monday’s episode of SAS Australia

‘Gangs and stuff, death threats, all that sort of thing. I was trying to handle it and my old man tried to help me, and I was in a dark space and I told him to eff off,’ he said.

Nick explained that his uncle had been murdered, and he wanted to protect his father from anything similar happening.

‘I didn’t want him to go through that, but I added so much more pain onto him when I told him that,’ he acknowledged. 

Ups and downs: Sitting in front of his fellow recruits, the 33-year-old former rugby union player revealed his rocky relationship with his dad, Mark. Pictured together

Ups and downs: Sitting in front of his fellow recruits, the 33-year-old former rugby union player revealed his rocky relationship with his dad, Mark. Pictured together

‘And he didn’t flog me, which made it even worse. Because I was always reliant that that was the thing, the even thing.

‘And now he’s got terminal cancer, and I think that situation has driven me through my career to work harder, to try and prove to him that I’m deserving of his love, and I want to try and make that happen before it’s too late.’

At the mention of Nick’s father’s cancer diagnosis, Merrick Watts grew visibly emotional, after earlier revealing his biggest regret was deleting the last voicemail message he’d received from his late father before listening to it.  

Affected: At the mention of Nick's father's cancer diagnosis, Merrick Watts (pictured) grew visibly emotional, after earlier revealing his biggest regret was deleting the last voicemail message he'd received from his late father before listening to it

Affected: At the mention of Nick’s father’s cancer diagnosis, Merrick Watts (pictured) grew visibly emotional, after earlier revealing his biggest regret was deleting the last voicemail message he’d received from his late father before listening to it

As he began to tear up, Nick struggled to keep his emotions in check and was rendered unable to speak.

He was later pulled into an interrogation with the show’s DS (directing staff), where he spoke more about his dad and his strict upbringing.

‘We were brought up with a strong moral code, and a good sense of right and wrong,’ he said. 

Family life: He was later pulled into an interrogation with the show's DS (directing staff), where he spoke more about his dad and his strict upbringing

Family life: He was later pulled into an interrogation with the show’s DS (directing staff), where he spoke more about his dad and his strict upbringing

Nick also reflected on the heartbreaking moment he found out about his dad’s cancer diagnosis, revealing he cried for half an hour.  

‘I remember the phone call. It was a life-changing moment. He said, “Just back from the doctor’s.” I was like, “Oh, are you all good?”‘ he began.

‘And he goes, “I’ve got another couple of years.” A couple of days later, I was in the shower and it all sort of hit me, and I just sort of slid to the bottom of the shower.’

Devastating: Nick also reflected on the heartbreaking moment he found out about his dad's cancer diagnosis, revealing he cried for half an hour

Devastating: Nick also reflected on the heartbreaking moment he found out about his dad’s cancer diagnosis, revealing he cried for half an hour

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