Gloria Hunniford has opened up about spending her first Christmas without her husband Stephen Way. The “giant of man” died earlier this year and has left a huge void in her life.
However, the Loose Women star is determined to experience joy this holiday in the presence of her loved ones. Her son, Michael Keating, is planning a three-day Christmas celebration.
Stephen passed away in August at the age of 85 after “heroically fighting his illness”. The TV star is single for the first time in decades and is finding comfort in her Christmas decorations.
Gloria Hunniford’s first Christmas without her husband
Christmas and New Year are especially hard for those who are grieving. Gloria is prepared to face the harsh reality, too.
In an interview with the Best Magazine, according to The Mirror, the 84-year-old presenter revealed that her decorations are looking like the “Blackpool Illuminations”.
She said: “My house is like Blackpool Illuminations. There is a gardener at Hever Castle called Michael, who came round to help me. It’s all done and up.”
Gloria, who is single after spending 30 Christmases with her beloved husband, recalled the time they had “six trees” in their home. Her son Michael is in charge of this year’s celebrations.
The three-day festivities will have a family reunion including late daughter Caron Keating’s sons Gabriel and Charlie. Gloria lost her daughter to cancer in 2004. She has opened up about her tragic death on Loose Women.
Gloria on finding happiness
Gloria believes life has to go on, although she’s grieving her husband’s loss. She reminisced about the “joyous” occasion of her grandson Charlie’s wedding just 10 days after Stephen’s death.
“I was determined it would be a joyous day. I loved that day, so that is a lesson. And I must remember I can go to events and be happy.”
Having been married to her husband since 1998, Gloria is deeply feeling the void in her life his absence has left. She told the magazine: “Stephen was a gentleman and a giant of a man, who will leave the most enormous void not only in my life but our entire family.”
She also gushed about her charming husband, who was also an “incredibly kind, generous, and caring man, with a delightfully quirky sense of humour” until his last breath.
The Loose Women star has a lot of memories worth cherishing from her marriage of 25 years. However, she said with a heavy heart that losing her husband came as a “great shock”. An emotional Gloria said words can’t express her “sadness at this time”.
She paid tribute to her husband, saying: “A bright shining light has dimmed, and he shall be missed at every turn.”
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