Matt Preston Opens Up About Brother's Tragic Epilepsy Death in Emotional Documentary
Former MasterChef judge Matt Preston has revealed the profound and lasting impact of his younger brother's tragic death, admitting the devastating loss continues to influence his life more than three decades later. The 64-year-old television personality appears in the upcoming SBS documentary The Hospital: In the Deep End, where he worked alongside frontline healthcare professionals in geriatric, neurology, and prostate cancer wards.
Personal Tragedy Resurfaces During Hospital Documentary
While the documentary experience exposed Preston to the harsh realities of hospital life, it also stirred deeply personal memories of the family tragedy that changed everything. His brother William died in 1988 at just 22 years old from Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) – at a time when medical understanding of the condition was extremely limited.
The little-known condition occurs when an otherwise healthy person with epilepsy dies suddenly, not from a seizure-related accident, with no identifiable reason for death found during autopsy. Preston describes the stigma surrounding epilepsy during that era as frighteningly primitive and outdated.
Confronting Stigma and Seeking Progress
'When my brother got epilepsy, I think it was seen as medieval... like an Exorcist moment,' Preston told the Herald Sun. 'People were scared of it – it was like 'oh there be demons' kind of stuff. We're probably a lot better than that now, but there's still much work to be done.'
The television personality emphasized the importance of increased focus on neurological research, stating: 'Hopefully, we start to look more carefully at the work we do in that area of neurology, which is such an important field. Increasingly it's going to affect more of us as populations age.'
More than 200,000 Australians currently live with epilepsy, and over 170 die from the condition each year. Despite these significant numbers, Preston believes research and funding for epilepsy understanding and treatment still have considerable distance to cover.
Family Legacy and Emotional Realizations
The tragic loss prompted Preston's late mother to establish a charity that continues operating today, creating a lasting legacy from family tragedy. However, the full emotional weight of losing his sibling only recently became completely apparent to Preston during a family Christmas gathering.
'It only hit me this Christmas,' Preston explained. 'We were sitting around the table with my wife's family and one of my kids – the other two are travelling – and it was like there was that space not just for where my brother could have been but his partner and their kids and the relationship that they would have had with my kids. That's an emotionally challenging thing to embrace.'
Life-Changing Decisions and New Perspectives
The tragedy played a pivotal role in the London-born reality television star's decision to relocate to Australia. 'I came to Australia for the first time after my brother died... because I needed time off. This was my way of doing it,' he revealed. 'I went for a four-month travel around the world, ended up with Australia, and then ended up moving here. So, absolutely there was that sense of making more of my life.'
Working in hospitals for the documentary forced Preston to confront both that past loss and the broader fragility of human life. The experience left him with immense respect for healthcare workers but also convinced him he could never perform their demanding roles.
'That constant pressure... I came out of some of those days going 'I don't understand why they do it and how they do it',' he admitted.
Redefined Priorities and Personal Growth
For Preston, losing his brother and subsequently watching his mother's decline has fundamentally reshaped how he views time, success, and personal priorities. 'Focusing my attitude on stuff that matters to me is really important,' he says. 'It was good to do stuff that mattered, and this documentary work felt particularly meaningful given my family's history with healthcare challenges.'
The documentary experience has provided Preston with new perspectives on healthcare, family, and the enduring impact of loss that continues to shape his personal and professional journey decades after his brother's untimely death.
