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Jonathan Ross says he struggles with guilt over not seeing his mother before her death

Jonathan Ross opened up about his mother's death on 'Loose Women' (ITV/YouTube)
Jonathan Ross opened up about his mother's death on 'Loose Women' (ITV/YouTube)

Jonathan Ross has opened up about his mother’s death - and how he feels guilty that he didn’t go and see her before she passed away.

Appearing as a guest on Loose Women on Wednesday 11 September, the ITV chat show host touched on how “devastating” it was to lose his beloved mum, Martha Ross to cancer back in late January.

"You know it's going to be a big loss but you don't really know how it is going to feel. I don't know if you ever fully get over it really," he explained to presenters Janet Street-Porter, Denise Welch, Saira Khan and Andrea McLean.

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"What's awful is that I did see her shortly before her death but then...” the 58-year-old continued as he remembered her final moments. "Well, she had a form of cancer but we were told that it was liveable with. We assumed she would be around for a lot longer.

"Then in early February she got ill and a phone call went around. We had a family WhatsApp group,” Ross recalled.

"I feel bad because everyone said, 'Oh, we will all go and see her'. And I said, 'Let's not all go and see her today because then there is no one going to see her tomorrow. Let's spread it out during the week. Who can only go today?'

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"Two of them went there, and then she died that day. That last day that I would have seen her. Although I think she didn't really know what was going on.

Brothers and TV Presenters Jonathan (L) and Paul Ross at the European Charity Premiere of the animated film 'Rugrats - The Movie' in Leicester Square, London.
Brothers and TV Presenters Jonathan (L) and Paul Ross at the European Charity Premiere of the animated film 'Rugrats - The Movie' in Leicester Square, London.

Ross went on to fondly say that whenever anyone would say to his mother, “You must be so proud of Jonathan,” she would reply: “I’m proud of all my children.”

Ross has five siblings; Paul, Simon, Miles, Adam and Liza.

Throughout her life, Martha was an actor and radio presenter. She appeared in shows such as Grange Hill, Barrymore and EastEnders.

Loose Women airs weekdays at 12:30pm on ITV.