Annabel Croft has admitted she’s “still trying to process” the death of her beloved husband Mel Coleman.
Mel, 60, died in May last year just weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. Annabel has previously said that by the time the doctors found it, it was “everywhere“.
Signing up to take part in 2023’s Strictly Come Dancing proved to be a welcome distraction from her grief, but Annabel has admitted that when she’s at home on her own, just one look at pictures of their old life together sends her into floods of tears.
Admitting recently she hasn’t collected Mel’s ashes yet, Annabel said simply that, without him, “nothing matters any more”.
Annabel Croft admits Christmas was ‘really hard’ without husband Mel
Speaking to Woman & Home, Annabel said: “I have three piles of unopened letters [from well-wishers] and feel awful because people have been so kind to take the time to write, but every time I start to read them, I can’t stop crying. I’m too emotional and too raw at the moment. Christmas and New Year were really hard.”
She said the festive period was full of tears “because they’re such big markers”. And, she added, the family had “such a normal” Christmas and New Year the previous year.
‘That keeps him there’
Annabel admits that, although they were close before, losing Mel has brought her closer to her three grown-up children – Amber, Charlie and Lily.
She admitted: “We have our set places at the dinner table. It’s like The Three Bears – Mum sits there, Dad always sat there and the kids in the middle – and when we sit around that table for meals, we talk about Mel and his amazing humour, and that keeps him there.”
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The reason Annabel can’t throw away Mel’s toothbrush
However, she has admitted that she’s not quite ready to box up Mel’s belongings and move them out of sight. His toothbrush is still in the bathroom, in fact, she has revealed.
“It’s weird because the house that was full of Mel is suddenly empty. All his stuff is still there. His side table in our bedroom is full, all his clothes, his toothbrush is still there. It feels very final if you pick up that toothbrush and put it in the bin. If I sell the house, maybe that will be the time to clear everything out, but right now, I don’t know.”
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