Heartbroken This Morning star announces death of friend and reveals 'overwhelming pain'

Gok Wan, a star of This Morning, has spoken of his 'overwhelming pain' after losing his close friend. The fashion expert revealed the loss of his friend Ali, who for a number of years had been battling cancer.

Messages of condolences flooded in from fans after Gok shared a sweet montage of memories with Ali on his Instagram page on Tuesday. His post proved just how close they were and Gok also wrote an emotional statement paying tribute to Ali's 'smile, wisdom, naughtiness and kind touch', reports DailyExpress.

He posted the message to his 1.1 million followers on Instagram. Gok said his "most courageous" friend had "finally ended her battle and is now at peace resting with the stars" after many years of fighting cancer.

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Ali had passed away with his family by her side, Gok said, including her "wonderful son" Tash, who "she loved with all her heart". Gok added: "We spent many years preparing for this moment but no amount of talks or planning could have prepared me for this overwhelming pain. I miss her so much already. Her wisdom. Her smile. Her naughtiness. Her kind touch. Her everything."

Continuing his lengthy post, the 49-year-old said he "fell in love" with Ali the first time they met and thanked her for "the best years of adventures and fun". "You told me you were going to the stars and I believe you. I know that one day we will dance again, together in the skies," he added.

The DJ added Des'ree's track I'm Kissing You to the post, a song they "both agreed" featured "the best vocals ever sung". "How lucky were we to share so much music together. You will forever be in every song I love," he added.

"The night sky will always be brighter now that you are shining your beautiful light from the universe." Gok concluded his post, writing: "Rest now my dear Fanny. I will see you in the music my love. Your, Gok x."

Many of the This Morning star's friends and fans flocked to the post to send condolences, including Alan Carr who wrote: "Oh Gok!! Sending you so much love - utterly heartbreaking x." Lorraine Kelly commented: "So sorry."

Denise Welch added: "What a testament to an incredible friendship." Alison Hammond typed: "So sorry about your loss Gok , how lovely to have had a special friend like Ali. Love to you and her family and friends. RIP."

Just two days before Gok shared the sad news, he told fans that Ali had been "very poorly" and will no longer be on social media. On her behalf, he thanked fans for their continuous "love, support and kindness" throughout her health battle.

The presenter regularly gave his followers updates about Ali's progress following her diagnosis in 2017. In a post shared on her page in December, she expressed her grattitude at lasting three more years beyond her prognosis and urged fans to cherish every moment.

She shared: "I’ve felt more love, been more connected, felt more free, been more bold and if this was all I had…I would say it was a great life… eat the cake, make the stupid videos, laugh loudly, love hard… SIMPLE!"