Gloria Hunniford is celebrating her 85th birthday today (Thursday, April 10), but the occasion will tinged with sadness as this week also coincides with the anniversary of her daughter's passing.
Caron Keating lost her battle with breast cancer in 2004, prompting Gloria to establish a charity in her memory, which supports smaller cancer charities throughout the UK.
This year also brings a poignant first for the 'Loose Women' presenter - it's her first birthday since the loss of her cherished husband Stephen, who passed away at 85 last August. Gloria has openly shared that her grief is still "very raw."
In a powerfully emotional conversation on Dr Hilary Jones's podcast, Gloria revealed: "There have been a lot of tears with Caron, she's been gone 20 years. – but when it's raw, you're not too sure how to deal with it."
The television host has shared her experiences of sorrow in her books 'Always With You' and 'Next To You: Caron's Courage', but says that Caron was always the more gifted writer.
"She was a really good writer," Gloria reflects. "The doctors say that her analysis of what it's like to have chemo shot into your veins is the best analysis they've ever had, because if you've never gone through it, you don't know what the feeling is like."
Gloria herself has faced her fair share of health issues, having been diagnosed as pre-diabetic. In an unexpected twist, she reveals that the intense grief she experienced following Stephen's death has sent this condition into remission: "It was diagnosed because I had a bit of blood in my pee."
She consulted her GP, who after conducting some tests found sugar in her urine - a key early warning sign of diabetes and other health conditions such as potential kidney failure.
Typically, doctors prescribe a strict diet to reduce weight for patients at risk of diabetes. However, Gloria experienced an unexpected resolution: "Ironically," she shared with Dr Hilary, "since Stephen passed, I have lost a lot of weight.
"I wasn't trying to, but with all the worry and the anxiety of [losing her husband] I lost a lot of weight.
"Since I lost the weight. accidentally, my levels have been very good because I get my bloods checked every so often for various reasons.
"And so every time the GP will say 'Your blood sugars are great'. It's ironic that that it's that way around."
