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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Miriam Burrell

‘Know that I do love you’: Mother of missing rugby player Levi Davis makes plea for him to come home

The mother of missing rugby player Levi Davis held back tears as she made an emotional plea for him to come home, saying “know that I do love you”.

Julie Davis spoke directly to her 24-year-old son, who was last seen in Barcelona, on Good Morning Britain: “Levi please, if you see this, please get in touch.

She said on Tuesday: “I can’t begin to understand how you’re feeling but just know that I do love you and our family loves you and we just want you home.”

Similarly, sister of the former Bath Rugby player, Candice Balfour, made a tearful plea on Sky News: “I just also want to let him know we’re here to support him.

“I just want him to come home. He’s loved and missed by everyone, he’s an amazing person.

“I just want to thank everyone who has been searching for Levi. I’ve had so many messages [from people] talking abut how they’ve been attending bars, public places with flyers of Levi’s face.

“So Levi we are looking for you,” Ms Balfour said as began to cry, “and we just want you to come home”.

CCTV footage has emerged over the weekend showing Levi leaving the Old Irish Pub on the popular Barcelona thoroughfare of Rambla dels Caputxins on the evening of October 29.

His former club Bath Rugby issued an appeal for information about the whereabouts of the winger.

Mr Davis, the first professional rugby player to come out as bisexual, is known for his television appearances and featured on ITV’s Celebrity X Factor in 2019 alongside fellow rugby stars Ben Foden and Thom Evans in a singing group known as Try Star. He was also on E4’s Celebs Go Dating in 2020.

Friends and family launched a social media appeal for him to return, as they said he struggled with his mental health and a recent injury.

Levi Davis (PA) (PA Archive)

Ms Davis told MailOnline the player contemplated quitting rugby after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, leaving him without a club and requiring surgery.

He had also spoken to her about financial problems and complained about his treatment by the rugby world, claiming he had suffered racism during his career.

His foster mother, Suzanne Balfour, told Sky News on Tuesday that he is “in a sad place at the moment”.

“I think he’s trying to sort his head out, trying to get things together.

“He may have just gone away to get himself together but it’s concerning that he hasn’t contacted his family, friends and he hasn’t contacted anybody.”

Julie Davis is travelling to Barcelona on Wednesday to hand out leaflets and make enquiries about her son, ITV reports.

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