The Block‘s Dan and Dani Reilly have celebrated the life of their late daughter Billie in a beautiful garden ceremony with family and friends.
The couple announced the passing of their daughter, Billie Vera Reilly, in December 2024 at 10 days old.
In March 2025, Dani shared with her followers that they paid tribute to Billie’s life and memory by building her a garden.
“Last week we gathered with our nearest and dearest in a garden we built for Billie ‘Billie’s Garden’ on our property to celebrate her life,” Dani began.
“It was beautiful and happy but so incredibly sad. The build up to the day was a lot and I was afraid of the emotional cliff that waited on the other side. But it was ok. The landing was relatively soft because of the support we have.
“The ceremony was not a full stop or the end of her story—it’s just the beginning and it’s now up to us to make meaning of her short life for her, for us and for those around us.”
Dani said the ceremony was “simple and exactly what it needed to be” and they chose to close to the song ‘Billie (Loving Arms)’ by Fred Again.
The couple also shared with their followers photos from the ceremony, including one of Dan and Dani planting in Billie’s garden and another of Dani reading a letter for Billie.
In her post, Dani also shared a small extract of the letter she wrote and read for her daughter:
“Even though all you knew in this life was love, it’s just not enough, Billie. Life is about the highs and the lows. We wanted everything for you. The fullest life. The love, the heartbreak, the sadness, the fun, the danger, the adventure. All of it. Every inch of everything.
“I couldn’t wait to show you the ocean and the way the light dances across the waves. To look up at the trees and watch the birds together. To see all the colours in the sky and study the flowers in our garden. For you to feel the wind on your face and smell the salt in the air. We would have watched so many sunsets together. You deserved all of this—a life of sunsets.
“Billie, you were both the closing and the beginning of such significant chapters in our lives. Every mistake we’ve ever made ultimately led us to you. I understand it now.
“You were, and will always be, the lesson—our greatest teacher.”
Dani concluded by pledging to keep Billie’s memory alive always: “There are big things coming in Billie’s honour because she literally deserves the world. It’s Billie’s world now and we’re lucky to be living in it.”
Dan and Dani’s post was met with an outpouring of support from fans and friends.
“Very beautiful Dan. People say there are no words for this kind of loss, but I think you found them. You are a wonderful Dad,” The Block host Shelley Craft wrote.
“I think I can safely say that Australia is grieving with you both for the loss of your beautiful Billie and the sadness you have. Thank you for sharing everything with us because you are helping the parents of all the other Billie’s who aren’t with us,” one follower commented.
In December 2024, Dan and Dani announced the devastating news that their daughter Billie had passed away in a social media post.
“It is with insurmountable grief that we share the news that our daughter Billie, has passed on from this life and into the next at just 10 days young,” the couple wrote.
“In Billie’s short time in this world, she taught us an intensity of both love and pain we never knew possible. She taught us what really matters.
“Billie was so wanted, so loved and she made us parents… and what an honour it is to be her mummy and daddy. She will always be our daughter.”
The post continued: “We understand there will be questions, and so many of the answers we just don’t have yet.
“We’ll share more in time but for now we ask for privacy as we work through this together and with our loved ones.”
Australia came to know and love Dan and Dani in 2012 when they became contestants on The Block while they were dating and left with a life-changing $448,000.
Dan and Dani returned in 2013 for the The Block All Stars series, taking home a profit of $220,000, and Dan later became foreman on The Block.
The pair tied the knot in 2018 after nine years together in an intimate ceremony on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
