Nick Cave writes an emotional open letter to the parents of under-fire Luca Bish

Nick Cave has paid tribute to under-fire Love Island contestant Luca Bish after the fishmonger’s parents supported him following the tragic death of his teenage son.

Posting an open letter on Friday morning, Australian singer Cave surprised fans by revealing a close bond with Luca’s parents Maria and Michael that developed as a consequence of the Islander’s own friendship with their late son, Arthur, and his twin brother Earl. 

Cave and fashion designer wife Susie’s son Arthur died aged 15 in 2015 after taking hallucinogenic drugs and stumbling off a cliff top near his Sussex home, plummeting 60ft to the ground.

He suffered catastrophic injuries and despite being rushed to the nearby Royal Sussex Hospital he later died.

Responding after an Instagram follower asked his wife to detail the major difference between she and her husband, Cave admitted Luca’s parents were a constant presence as they came to terms with the devastating loss of their son. 

He wrote: ‘At the moment, the defining difference between Susie and me is that she watches Love Island, and I don’t. Susie watches Love Island because we know one of the contestants, Luca. Luca was a school friend of our twins, Arthur and Earl. 

‘As a consequence, Susie and I became friends with Luca’s parents, Maria and Michael. Maria is an antique dealer. Michael is a fishmonger. Luca is a fishmonger too.’ 

He added: ‘After Arthur died, in the early days of that terrible, chaotic first week, Maria turned up on our doorstep with a tray of lasagna and basically looked after us. She barely said anything to us. She made us cups of tea. She cooked for us. She was just there. 

‘She was the one constant through a time of horror and confusion, when scores of despairing and commiserating people came and went. We will never forget her kindness. Even in the first week, when the world seemed suddenly and shockingly defined by an unspeakable and distorting cruelty, Maria reminded us that there was good in the world. 

‘She also served as a lesson in how to deal with grieving people – you don’t need to say anything, just do something; make them a cup of tea, cook them dinner.’ 

Cave admitted Luca’s kindhearted parents still provide them with food, without charge, and for their inexhaustible kindness he and Susie are willing Luca to win the current series of Love Island.  

He wrote: ‘To this day Michael brings fresh fish around to our house, drops it off and leaves without a word. He pretends to charge us for it, but we know that he doesn’t. These people, Luca’s parents, are as good as people get, and they love their son, Luca.  

‘So, Susie watches Love Island and cheers him on, and hopes that he will win. I also hope that Luca wins, and wins soon, because then I can get the f**king TV back.’ 

Cave and his wife had proudly taken twins Arthur and Earl to several high profile events and the brothers had appeared at the end of 20,000 Days on Earth, a film documenting a fictitious 24 hour period in the singer’s life. 

A coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death at an inquest later in 2015, after which Cave said the grief was ‘unimaginable’. The family also spoke of their heartbreak after the death of their ‘beautiful, happy loving boy’.

The singer has composed scores for a number of films, including The Proposition in 2005, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford in 2007, and The Road in 2009. He also co-wrote 20,000 Days on Earth.

Cave is most famous for his work with his band the Bad Seeds, formed in Melbourne in 1983. Previously he was in cult band the Birthday Party.

But his biggest hit was a duet with Kylie Minogue – Where The Wild Roses Grow. The pair are still friends and appeared together in his 20,000 Days on Earth film.