Partner of woman who died after BBL says telling five daughters was ‘horrific’

Speaking publicly for the first time in an exclusive interview, Dane Knight said Alice Webb’s death had ‘massively affected’ their family, ITV News’ Ellie Pitt reports
The partner of a mum-of-five who became the first person to die after undergoing a liquid Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) in the UK has described telling their five daughters about their mother’s death as “horrific” and “one of the worst things I’ve ever had to do”.
Speaking publicly for the first time in an exclusive interview with ITV News, Dane Knight said Alice Webb’s death had “massively affected” their family and left him personally feeling like an “empty vessel”.
Ms Webb, from Gloucestershire, died last month when she suffered complications, following a procedure which involved cosmetic fluid being injected into her buttocks.
Two people have since been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and bailed.
Dane Knight told ITV News that telling his and Alice Webb’s children about her death ‘was one of the worst things I’ve ever had to do’
“At the end of the day there’s five young children from eight up to 15 and in between,” Mr Knight said.
“Their feelings, their thoughts, their questions and me answering them the best way I possibly can and wording it correctly in a way where it softens the blow, but yet telling them the truth was priority.
“And that gave me the strength to carry on knowing that I had to be there for them. The worst bit was obviously coming back from the hospital and then reciting in my head how do I tell the kids, what do I say, how do I put it, what are they going to say, how are they going to act, what do I do.
“You’re kind of thinking everything going through my head and it was just unreal and really children at that age you shouldn’t need to do something like that.”
Mr Knight said he believes his partner would not have undergone her BBL procedure had she been aware of the “full risks” to her health.
He said: “If we as a unit had of known [the] full risks of it then I don’t think this would have happened.
“I don’t think she would have done it. It’s all well seeing this is the procedure, this is what you get and that’s it. Rather than this is the procedure, this is what you could get, the risks are… that was missing.
“If maybe a bit more information on the risks of it was available we might not be here now.”
‘If we as a unit had of known [the] full risks of it then I don’t think this would have happened’
Mr Knight said his partner’s death took a “massive chunk” from their family “which will never be replaced”, adding: “We just need to think of those kids, make sure that they get all of the help that they need and support them in every which way we can.”
He described Ms Webb as a “great mum” and “one of a kind”, saying: “She was unique in her own way, special in her own way, a special, special girl. She was loved and adored by many. She was one of a kind.”
In the wake of Ms Webb’s death, her family have backed calls to introduce ‘Alice’s Law’, which would make it illegal for anyone other than a registered Plastic Surgeon on the GMC specialist register, operating from a Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulated environment, to perform buttock augmentation procedures using hyaluronic acid dermal fillers.
‘When she passed there was a massive chunk taken from all of us too, which will never be replaced’
Currently, in the UK it is legal for anyone – even if they have no medical qualifications – to perform invasive body augmentation treatments.
Asked what it would mean for Alice’s Law to be officially brought into force, Mr Knight said it would help his family feel that Ms Webb “won’t be forgotten” and help to “prevent this happening to anybody else”.
He said: “To me and the girls, like I said to you earlier, that really is a massive chunk that’s been taken out of all of us.
“And the day that she is buried there’s a piece of every one of us that will be going down with her, and that will never be returned.
“Hearing of Alice’s Law potentially being enforced returns back a little piece inside us.”
‘She was a great mum, she was a great partner and she was one of a kind’
The liquid BBL is often called non-surgical, but it involves the injection of a numbing agent called Lidocaine followed by hundreds or thousands of millilitres of filler.
Surgeons have told ITV News that this is a high-risk treatment because of the complex anatomy of the buttocks, which have layers of fat, muscle as well as major veins and blood vessels running through them.
Jordan Parke, known as the Lip King to his online followers, was one of the individuals arrested in connection with Ms Webb’s death.
ITV News understands he has no surgical qualifications but calls himself a body filler specialist.
Dane Knight told ITV News that hearing Alice’s Law could be brought into force helps him and his family to ‘smile’
ITV News has been investigating the filler BBL being carried out by non-medics for nearly a year.
We have spoken to dozens of women who have suffered sepsis, dead skin tissue, had filler injected into their veins and needed emergency surgery because of the filler BBL.
Many of those we have spoken to have been left with long-term pain, permanent scarring and needed corrective operations.
Save Face, which was set up because of a lack of regulation in the industry, has helped nearly 600 individuals who have had complications following a liquid BBL carried out by “practitioners lacking any healthcare experience”.
The organisation says of those more than half (52%) contracted sepsis and more than 39% required corrective surgery.
Save Face has started a petition calling for a ban on liquid BBLs from high-street beauty clinics.
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“Last December, we warned ministers that these dangerous procedures would inevitably lead to fatalities and had they listened Alice’s death could have been prevented,” said Save Face Director Ashton Collins.
She added: “We have supported hundreds of women who have suffered life threatening complications at the hands of unscrupulous lay injectors who are currently able to continue offering these dangerous procedures with impunity.
“The government must take urgent action to enact this law to safeguard patients from unsafe practices and to hold those responsible accountable.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Our sympathies are with Ms Webb’s family and friends in this tragic case, which is incredibly concerning.
“The safety of patients is paramount, and we would urge anyone considering a cosmetic procedure to consider the possible health impacts and find a reputable, insured, and qualified practitioner.
“We are exploring options around regulatory oversight of the non-surgical cosmetics sector and will provide an update in due course.”
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