EXCLUSIVE
The grief-stricken eldest daughter of shopping channel TV presenter Erin Jayne Plummer has paid a special tribute to her late father as she takes the first tentative steps towards rebuilding her shattered life.
Alan Plummer died in October, two years after his wife took her own life, leaving their three girls – aged 18, 15 and 10 – to face the rest of their lives as orphans.
Elani Plummer, 18 – now the sole guardian of her younger sisters – shared a loving photo with her dad on what would have been his 50th birthday on December 28.
‘Happy bday Dadda, forever and always your girl,’ she captioned the photo.
Mr Plummer was found dead at Freshwater on Sydney‘s northern beaches on November 10 after failing to meet a friend for a morning swim.
The friend rang police to request a welfare check and officers arrived at the Plummer family home in the same suburb to inform Elani her father was missing.
His body was found an hour later by a lifeguard at the foot of a cliff at Freshwater beach.
His death came two years after his wife Erin took her own life in May 2022 following a battle with mental health problems. Her body was found at the base of a Manly cliff.
Elani Plummer the daughter of television presenter, Erin Jayne Plummer, has remembered her father Alan on his birthday as she takes on parental responsibility for her siblings
Teenager Elani has shared special moments on the Freshwater clifftop close to the family home
The three young daughters said a final goodbye to their late father, two years after their mother took her own life. Eldest daughter Elani is pictured far right
Elani Plummer explained how her father had tried to let her continue her childhood after losing his wife, ‘when everyone else looked at me as a mother’. Erin Jayne and Alan Plummer are pictured on their wedding day
At her father’s funeral, Elani acknowledged the tremendous responsibility now bestowed upon her as the eldest of the three sisters, but thanked him for allowing her time to grow up.
‘He let me feel like a kid when everyone else looked at me as a mother, or a guardian to my sisters,’ she told an overflowing crowd at Magnolia Chapel North Ryde.
‘And I wish that I didn’t have to give that sense of freedom and childhood up but ultimately he’s the one and only person I would give it up for.’
Mr Plummer’s death came two months after he sold the family’s Freshwater home, which he and Erin bought in 2002.
Elani had only just completed her HSC and was out celebrating a friend’s 18th birthday the night before her father’s body was found.
Mr Plummer had planned to move with his 10-year-old daughter to Queensland to be closer to his 15-year-old, who is studying there on a sports scholarship.
He reportedly purchased an apartment for Elani to remain in the northern beaches with her friends.
Freshwater Beach had been Erin’s favourite coastal spot, and Elani often spends time on the cliffs to remember both her parents sharing the moment to her social media.
Alan Plummer died in November amid his own battle with mental health issues, leaving his girls – aged 18, 15 and 10 – to face the rest of their lives as orphans. The middle daughter is pictured
Since Mr Plummer’s death his daughters have been embraced by close friends of their parents who have thrown loving arms around the siblings and taken them into their homes
A GoFundMe appeal for the Plummer daughters has raised $40,970 of a $50,000 target. Mr Plummer is pictured with his three daughters
The Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium chapel was overflowing with mourners at Alan Plummer’s funeral
It’s understood that her 15-year-old sister will continue with her interstate scholarship, and return home for school holidays while Elani has full-time responsibility for her 10-year-old sister.
At the funeral, Elani directly addressed ‘this battle against mental health that seems to plague our family’ – a tight clan called the ‘The Plum Squad’.
During her eulogy she acknowledged the support she and her sisters had received since their father – widely known as ‘Big Al’ – died.
‘I firstly wanted to say a massive thank you to the families who have taken us three girls under their wings the past three weeks,’ she said. ‘We love you guys so much.’
Elani said she and her father had made a promise to be each other’s best friend forever while walking along Freshwater beach when she was 10-years-old.
‘And nothing that our family has been through in the last two years could have prepared me for losing my best friend,’ she said.
Elani said her father had continued to raise ‘three of the most competitive girls you’ll ever meet’ in the absence of their mother
‘And we promise to win this battle against mental health that seems to plague our family,’ she said.
‘And with patience and kindness I promise it stops here.’
A GoFundMe appeal for the Plummer daughters has raised $40,970 of a $50,000 target.
An update on the progress posted on December 23 thanked contributors.
‘To all, a huge thank you for your generosity. It’s incredible to see so many people come to the aid of 3 beautiful girls and help support them as they look to define their futures,’ wrote organiser J Casey.
‘I know they are all thankful and amazed by the generosity you have all shown and the sheer support is testament to how many have shown a willingness to stand up and support those who need help in times like this.’
In addition to her television career, Erin was an accomplished synchronised swimmer who represented Australia at three world championships and won 11 national titles.
But it was her advertising roles for which Erin was best-known. Over the years, she spruiked everything from massage chairs and workout programs to slimming jeans and steam mops.