Daughter lifts the lid on Billy Brownless' reunion with Garry Lyon
Billy Brownless’ daughter Lucy has opened up about her father’s reunion with former best mate Garry Lyon, who is now in a relationship with Brownless’ ex-wife.
AFL greats and former Footy Show co-hosts, Brownless and Lyon had a nasty falling out in 2016 when Lyon started dating Brownless’ ex-wife Nicky.
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The former best friends didn’t speak for a number of years, however fans were shocked when the pair reunited for Christmas in December.
Lucy Brownless posted a number of photos on social media showing Billy, Nicky and Garry spending Christmas Day together with the Brownless children in Geelong.
And now Lucy has opened up about the “really special” occasion.
“It worked really well and that was all very positive,” she told the Herald Sun on Thursday.
“We're all happy and happy to be all together. It was a great day. We were all really excited about that.”
Lucy said she was grateful to be able to spend time with siblings Ruby, Oscar and Max, as well as their parents and grandmother, given the strict COVID-19 restrictions around the country.
“We really enjoyed it and made the most of it,’’ she said.
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Billy Brownless’ world was turned upside down in 2016 when he found out that Lyon had left his wife to start a relationship with Nicky.
Billy and Nicky were together for 18 years before they split.
Last year the Geelong legend opened up about the pain of Nicky moving on with Lyon during his stint on reality TV show ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’.
“We separated about four years ago. Had a big, big dust-up we did. It was public, very public,” he said.
“She just fell out of love, which happens”. I didn’t expect it. You think she’ll come back and all that, but she didn’t. So that was a real kick in the guts.”
Brownless said it took him about two years to get back to his normal self.
“It’s been four years now so you get through it, you know,” he said.
“I reckon it takes you two years when you split, when you bounce back and to be yourself.”
Addressing his falling out with Lyon, Brownless said: “We’re not best mates and there was no Christmas cards or anything, but one day I suppose we’ll sit down and have a beer. Time heals.”
Lyon’s previous marriage with ex-wife Melissa ended in 2014 before he started seeing Nicky.
“It’s important I apologise publicly for the hurt they’ve been through,” Lyon previously said about about Melissa and their children.
“I was separated back in 2014. It’s hard enough to deal with separation, hard enough to deal with privately let alone publicly when you throw in a new relationship that lots of people frown upon, a person who was once married to a friend.”
Brownless first addressed the drama during an episode of the Footy Show in 2016 after Lyon took leave.
“My initial feelings were, like anyone – you get angry. You’re headless, you’re angry,” he said.
“I shot of a couple of texts to Garry and to Nicky which you wouldn’t want to repeat on this show. And then after a couple of days, you get embarrassed.
“Now I’m just disappointed. Your mate wouldn’t do that … Let me tell you, by law it’s legal to do what they’re doing, but morally it’s wrong in all aspects.”
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