Money expert Martin Lewis had Loose Women viewers in tears as he spoke about losing his mother as a child.
Martin went on the ITV talk show today (27 March) to talk about helping children with their grief and he got very emotional.
His mother died in a horse riding accident when she was 35 and he was just 11-years-old.
Martin, 46, has now set up a helpline with charity Grief Encounter to support young people who have lost a loved one.
Visibly emotional, the money-saving guru explained to the Loose Women panel that he wished there was counselling available when he was grieving as a child.
He said: “I am still now, 35 years later, deeply scarred by what happened to me. It was a defining moment of my life that changed the way I act and behave.
“It was devastating and we didn’t know what to do. This was the mid eighties and you just didn’t do that kind of thing. My father, my sister and I were incredibly wounded for such a long time.”
Martin recalled the work he has done as a patron of Grief Encounter, and the children’s stories he has heard, and said he had “tears in his eyes.”
He even admitted: “I so don’t want to be here right now,” as he finds reliving his memories so painful. But he added that he wants to use his “voice” to help others.
Martin’s honest words struck a chord with fans of the show and many praised him for sharing his story.
One viewer commented online: “This conversation with Martin Lewis, talking about losing his mum at age eleven is so moving. His devastation is palpable. It is so difficult for him to talk about & almost painful to watch. Brave man. @loosewomen #loosewomen.”
Another emotional fan added: “Sobbing my eyes out .. poor Martin Lewis, bless him .. #loosewomen.”
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A third fan wrote: “Felt very sad for Martin Lewis on #LooseWomen today.
“He is doing a great thing with the help line for others going through the loss of a parent as he did. The panel were visibly affected by his emotion and it was so sad 😥.”
Meanwhile, a fourth viewer branded his story “heart wrenching.”
They tweeted: “Martin Lewis talking about grief and how it still affects him today is heart wrenching. Worth a watch though if you or someone you know needs support. #LooseWomen.”
This conversation with Martin Lewis, talking about losing his mum at age eleven is so moving. His devastation is palpable. It is so difficult for him to talk about & almost painful to watch. Brave man. @loosewomen #loosewomen
— LouiseW (@Cogs39) March 27, 2019
Sobbing my eyes out .. poor Martin Lewis, bless him .. #loosewomen
— Emma (@Lennybow) March 27, 2019
Felt very sad for Martin Lewis on #LooseWomen today.
He is doing a great thing with the help line for others going through the loss of a parent as he did. The panel were visibly affected by his emotion and it was so sad 😥— ✨Sue✨ (@Happy_Susie) March 27, 2019
Martin Lewis talking about grief and how it still affects him today is heart wrenching. Worth a watch though if you or someone you know needs support. #LooseWomen
— CLC (@themancblogger) March 27, 2019
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Martin then thanked people for their support, tweeting that he still felt “shaken” by the emotional interview.
Thank you for all the kind words about my appearance on #loosewomen. I can’t respond to them all but they are touching.
Still a little bit shaken. So taking a little bit of time out. Hopefully my @itvmlshow team won’t be too annoyed if I’m a little late for our meet.
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) March 27, 2019
For more information on Grief Encounter, and the help available, visit: griefencounter.org.uk
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