Gaby Roslin has opened up about her grief following the death of her parents when she was in her early thirties.
The BBC Radio DJ’s mother Jackie died in 19997 aged 62 from smoking-related lung cancer and her father Clive died shortly after following a stroke.
Gaby, 60, said that almost three decades after the double tragedy, she still feels the heartbreak, which she described as being ‘hit in my tummy’.
The mother-of-two said she is heartbroken that Jackie never got to meet her daughters – Libbi-Jack, 23, from her first marriage to musician Colin Peel, and Amelie, 17, who she shares with her husband of 12 years, David Osman.
‘There was something on the radio this morning, and they read out something about somebody saying their kids never got a chance to meet their grandmother,’ she recalled to OK! magazine.
‘My mum died 28 years ago, and it just got me in my stomach. I always say to people when they lose someone, “Just remember, there are no rules to grief.” And now here I am 28 years later, like somebody had hit me in my tummy.’
Gaby Roslin has opened up about her grief following the death of her parents when she was in her early thirties
Her mother Jackie died in 19997 aged 62 from smoking-related lung cancer and her father Clive died shortly after following a stroke (pictured at Paul O’Grady’s funeral in 2023)
Gaby revealed she keeps Jackie’s memory alive by talking about her to her children and keeping photos of her around the house.
The TV presenter said she ‘wishes’ Jackie could have met her grandchildren, recalling her mother’s promises to look after them once a week so she could go on a date night.
‘But you carry them in your hearts and every so often they come to the front of your mind when you least expect it,’ she said.
Gaby – who now hosts her own Magic Radio show on Saturdays – previously spoke about her mother’s ‘harrowing’ death during an emotional interview in 2023.
‘When my mum died, I said, “You know what? I’m never apologising about being happy again, because life is so precious,”‘ she told The Sun.
‘Mum died of lung cancer the day that my dad Clive, 89, got the all-clear from bowel cancer. It was a harrowing time.’
Gaby said one of the biggest lessons she took away from the dark period was the importance of self-care and ‘making the most’ of life.
‘We don’t know when it’s going to end and I just want to make the most of every moment. But I also want other people to feel that as well, I really do.’
She shared her heartbreak over her mother never meeting her two daughters
She shares Libbi-Jack, 23, with her ex-husband Colin Peel, and Amelie, 17, with her husband of 12 years, David Osman (pictured together)
Meanwhile, last year Gaby spoke about the death of her friend Paul O’Grady and claimed he was ‘haunting’ her.
Paul died from cardiac arrhythmia in March 2023 at the age of 67. He is survived by widower André Portasio and his daughter Sharon.
The late comic had a drag persona named Lily Savage, created in 1978, which launched him to stardom in the Nineties after already being a hit in the LGBTQ community.
Gaby revealed they are still in contact, as according to The Daily Star, she shared: ‘I got a new show recently. I’d always ring Savage to discuss new shows – I always called him Savage – so I went to call him.
‘But then I had that split second where you think “Oh no, I can’t.” But I know that he’s haunting me.’
She continued: ‘He always said he was going to haunt everyone – that he was going to come back and keep an eye on us all.
Last year, Gaby spoke about the death of her good friend Paul O’Grady
She joked that Paul – who died in 2023 – was ‘haunting’ her
‘He knew how much we loved him because at the end of every phone call I’d go, “Oh my God, you know how much I love you,” and he’d go, “You know I love you, too. Now f*** off.”‘
When Paul passed, Gaby took to Instagram to share a photo of him and wrote: ‘Unbelievably sad news to wake up to. Paul you really were a one off. There will never be anyone quite like Paul. Goodness me we laughed together so much.
‘Our chats lasted for hours and I know he’ll be up there now nattering away and keeping everyone laughing.
‘This lovely photo of him and Buster makes me smile and I know he’ll want us all to smile when we think of him and celebrate his life.
‘My love and deepest sympathies to Andre and to Sharon and the family. He was brave and clever and naughty and a dear sweet friend.
‘So many happy crazy memories of times we spent together. Sleep tight Savage darling I adored you #rippaulogrady.’