Gloria Hunniford has opened up on her profound grief in her first TV appearance with talk show Loose Women since losing her husband Stephen Way.
The Loose Women star and veteran broadcaster from Northern Ireland, aged 84, had been married to Stephen for over 25 years when he sadly passed away at 85 in August, after suffering a series of debilitating strokes.
The Northern Ireland showbusiness veteran told viewers on Monday she is "really glad to be back" as she opened up on her weight-loss following her husband's death.
Read more: Gloria Hunniford's husband Stephen Way dead aged 85 months after second stroke
Read more: Loose Women's Gloria Hunniford recalls 'life-saving' moment with husband
"One minute you know what your life is, and the next minute you think 'what is this life going forward?' So many people would recognise that," she said. "But, you know, I want to say this very sincerely because I want to thank all of you, all of you at home and everybody and these women, whether you're behind the scenes or upfront on the panel, because the messages were just fabulous.
"And I can't tell you how much they mean in the end, you know. I've read them and re-read some of them, [I'm] trying my best to reply to them, which will take me some time."
Stephen Way married the Portadown-born TV presenter in September 1998 in a ceremony at St Peter's Church in Kent. Earlier this year, Stephen was left partially blind after suffering a second stroke in April.
The 85-year-old had a heart attack in 2004, and had his first stroke in 2012. He sadly passed on August 13.
"It obviously changes your life," Gloria Hunniford told viewers on Monday. "My family and, again, we all recognise this and you at home have got lovely families - it's amazing how sometimes your children become the parents then because they obviously start to worry about you and everything.
"But the letters and the cards and the messages have honestly really sunk in to my soul. So thank you very much and thank all of you and all at home.
"I'll tell you more as we go along, in the weeks [ahead]. I'm determined not to cry today. I'm trying not to cry."
The Northern Ireland woman also sought to defuse fears about her appearance as she quipped: "Listen, I'm always shorter than everybody else anyway, as you can see."
She continued: "But the thing is that obviously when your partner is ill - the anxiety and the worry and all of that. So of course I've lost weight because you don't eat properly and you're always thinking about the other person.
"But I am fine, thank you very much, indeed. And my two sons, Paul and Michael, when they come to visit, they watch what I eat. They go 'you haven't finished your chicken'. And I think, please don't watch me while I eat, I'm hungry, I'm going to eat it, you know? But I am fine."
She said she was keen to get back to work.
"I have worked since I was seven," she said. "I started to sing when I was seven at a time when there was no television and, which I know you'll say 'that's a heck of a long time ago'. But the thing is that work, I know. I like work. I've always worked, and I think Denise [Welch, fellow Loose Women panellist] will recognise this. I know where I am with work, whereas all the emotional stuff and the sadness I don't know where I am with that."
She added: "So I'm really glad to be back. I'm really glad to see you - and you and you and you and you and you."
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