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Simon Thomas says his son gave him reason to live after the death of his wife

Sky presenter Simon Thomas (PA Images).
Sky presenter Simon Thomas (PA Images).

Sky Sports presenter and former Blue Peter presenter Simon Thomas has said his son gave him reason to live after the death of his wife Gemma last Christmas.

Gemma tragically lost her battle with leukaemia just three days after being diagnosed in November 2017, and the presenter has since spoken about the heartache and ‘brutal loneliness’ he has experienced.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Thomas revealed that Christmas is a particularly difficult time of year for him, but that Ethan has given him the strength to carry on.

“I just remember thinking I don’t want to do Christmas at all… If I could fast forward past this,” he said. “It was literally a month after Gemma died, it was days after her funeral and suddenly you’re into the festive season.

“That morning, when he said what he wanted for Christmas, came the morning after she went. I remember him turning to me in the morning, he was very tearful understandably, and he just said ‘Daddy I’ve changed my Christmas list.'”

“I said ‘Okay, what do you want now?’ and he said ‘First of all I want mummy back’ and then secondly he wanted all the usual stuff.

Thomas’ wife passed away just three days after being diagnosed with leukaemia.
Thomas’ wife passed away just three days after being diagnosed with leukaemia.

Thomas spoke of how his son helped him through the first anniversary of Gemma’s death.

Revealing that Ethan didn’t think about it in the same way as him, he said: “He just grabbed my arm on Friday night and just said ‘Dad, just so you know, if you’re ever feeling sad over the weekend you can just come and find me and I’ll give you a big hug.’

“I just thought, I don’t think I’d have got through this without you. It gives you a reason to live. He is my everything. Without him, I don’t know what life would look like now.”

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