Loose Women marks it's 25th anniversary this week and while we should be raising a glass, we can't help but feel for many of the panel members who have suffered heartache of recent
Loose Women is celebrating a landmark birthday this week, ordinarily we'd be here for it with the celebratory poppers at the ready but with many tragedies suffered by cast members in recent times, it hardly feels like a joyous occasion.
Over the past few years, but more so in the last 12 months, there has been awful news to arise for many of the shows stars. On a number of occasions, the ladies (and sometimes gentlemen too) have had to bare strong shoulders to offer to their co-workers to cry on.
The show was rocked with harrowing news back in 2022, when a Loose Women mother lost her son under the most tragic of circumstances. Since then, the wave of heartache has continued to storm through the studio capturing many loyal presenters in its grasp.
Just in the last few weeks alone, there has been sudden death, two recent divorces and a cancer battle that has spiralled. So while many of you will be raising a glass to mark the shows 25th birthday, we'll be paying tribute to those stars who have been caught in the emotional whirlwind of recent.
Brenda Edwards tragic loss
Brenda's music producer son Jamal tragically died after suffering a cardiac arrhythmia after taking recreational drugs. The entrepreneur, who was responsible for launching the careers of Dave and Ed Sheeran, died in February 2022, just aged 31.
His mother, who is a regular panellist, said in a statement at the time that she was in a "state of shock" after finding out from a coroner's report how her beloved son had died.
Brenda wrote: "I have sadly learned that the cause of Jamal's devastating passing was due to cardiac arrhythmia. Caused by having taken recreational drugs and I wanted to address this myself to everyone who loved, admired and respected my son."
She bravely added: "Since finding out the news I've been in a state of shock, and I am still trying to process it. But it's so important to me that I do address it as no mother or any loved one should have to go through what Jamal's sister, Tanisha, and I have been through since he passed."
Gloria Hunniford's husband passes away
The couple had been married for more than 20 years after she'd married the broadcast businessman in 1998, with the TV star saying his death would leave "the most enormous void, not only in my life, but our entire family".
In 2004, Stephen health complication began when he suffered a heart attack. Then is 2012 tragedy struck again when he had his first stroke, with a second leaving him partially blind in his right eye just last year.
Stephen was also involved in a terrible taxi accident in 2019 where medics fought to save his life after he'd fractured the base of his spine in the collision. At the time, his wife Gloria spoke out to thank the NHS for everything they did for him.
In a statement released on 14 August, his family said: "It is with huge sadness and very heavy hearts that we share the passing of Stephen Way, Gloria's beloved husband, who lost his battle yesterday afternoon.
"Stephen had been heroically fighting his illness... but always with great tenacity and a positive spirit."
Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes split
Ruth and Eamonn, who had been together for 27 years and married for 14, left the nation agasp when they announcement in May this year, in a statement that they were parting ways.
There was further comotion to come, after it became apparent that GB New host Eamonn had moved on already with his marriage counsellor girlfriend Katie Alexander. According to reports, the pair are very much "in love".
Earlier this week, there was further noise about Ruth and Eamonn marriage breakdown when fans quizzed the Loose Women star over still wearing her wedding ring, even though they'd separated and Eamonn was now with someone new.
Ruth took to her social media with a green smoothie making video and was plagued again about the wedding band still being visible on that finger.
Shutting down the noise about it all, the TV personality simply responded that she was still wearing her ring "because she is still married".
Linda Robson and husband Mark part ways
Ruth wasn't the only star of the show to announce she was heading for divorce this year, following decades of marraige. Linda Robson, 66, made a candid admission that she and Mark Dunford had finished.
The couple had been married for just over 33-years when they decided to call it quits. At the time she said "enough is enough", explaining that they'd "simply grown apart" in more recent times.
Speaking to Woman, Linda explained that she was looking to flee their two-bedroom family home in Islington. Her plan was to move closer to her three children and grandchildren but finding a house had been "stressful".
The Birds Of A Feather star added: "It certainly will be a new chapter when I do move." Since then Linda has gone on to confess that she and Mark "never had that much in common" as she insisted they simply stayed together for the children's sake.
Linda Nolan's 'cancer has spread'
Linda Nolan's sister Coleen is a regular on the programme and because of their family link, they have both made appearances on the popular ITV programme from time to time.
The remarkable hitmaker had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 but the disease resurfaced again 2017 with Linda then being informed in recent weeks that it has now spread to her brain, bones and liver.
Wanting to give it everything again, Linda is now trialling a new drug that isn't available on the NHS at the moment in hope that it will prolong her life expectancy. Speaking about the potential side effects of the drug, she said: "I asked my consultant 'will I lose my hair again'? and it is a possibility."
