Former 'Kiddy Kapers' TV Star Dies as California Wildfires Devastate Malibu Estate, Mother Says


Former ‘Kiddy Kapers’ Child Star Rory Callum Sykes Dies as California Wildfires Ravage Malibu Estate
A former Australian child star tragically died when wildfires tore through his family’s Malibu estate in California earlier this week, his mother confirmed.

Rory Callum Sykes, 32, was at the 17-acre Mount Malibu TV Studios estate where he resided in a private cottage when flames consumed the property on January 8, his mother, Shelley Sykes, revealed in a heartfelt post on X.

Describing her son as “beautiful” and “wonderful,” Shelley expressed her heartbreak over the loss, saying she was “totally heartbroken.”

According to Shelley, she tried to extinguish cinders on the roof with a hose but was unable to because the water system had failed. In a tearful interview with Australia’s 10 News First, she recalled the devastating moment.

“He told me, ‘Mom, leave me.’ But no mother can leave their child,” she said. “I had a broken arm—I couldn’t lift him, I couldn’t move him.”

Born on July 29, 1992, with blindness and cerebral palsy, Rory defied the odds through surgeries and therapies that restored his sight and enabled him to walk. He became known for his inspiring speeches about overcoming adversity and co-founded Happy Charity, an organization dedicated to bringing “Hope, Happiness & Health to those who are Hurting.”

“He endured so much pain yet still loved traveling the world with me, from Africa to Antarctica,” Shelley wrote.

Sykes, who first gained fame on the 1998 British children’s show Kiddy Kapers, later became a professional motivational speaker and consultant, working with organizations like the Tony Robbins Foundation and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

In a 2003 appearance on Mornings with Kerri-Anne, Rory spoke about a U.S. trip to participate in a Tony Robbins conference, delivering a powerful message: “It doesn’t matter what happens to you in life—it’s what you do about it that counts.”

A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed they are working closely with local authorities to support Rory’s family.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to his family. Our thoughts are with them,” DFAT told 9News Australia. “Due to privacy obligations, no further comment will be provided.”

CNN has also reached out to DFAT for additional information.

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