Gloria Hunniford lost her husband, Stephen Way, in August last year, after a period of illness. The couple had been married for 26 years, and Stephen was 85 years old when he passed away.
Her sad loss came 20 years after the tragic loss of her daughter, Caron Keating, who was aged just 41 when she died from breast cancer in 2004.
The presenter said at the time of her husband's passing, "It's a great shock and words cannot express my sadness at this time. A bright shining light has dimmed, and he shall be missed at every turn."
One year on, Gloria, 85, shares how she remains positive in the face of loss, using faith and reflecting on joyful memories to help her heal.
"Stephen and I had 30 years together. Some people never get 30 years of happiness, but I did," she says in conversation with OK!.
Gloria continues, "So as much as he is a huge loss, I am very grateful that I had that time with him. I was very lucky and have been very lucky in my life."
Gloria spoke about the impact of faith on how she copes with the loss of both her husband and daughter. "I believe I will see Caron again and I believe I will see Stevie again," she says.
The Loose Women presenter continues, candidly, "It's not that I go to church every Sunday, but I have a very strong faith, and in life, you either believe there is somewhere you go after you die, or there isn't. I choose to think there is."
Gloria also believes in looking at the bigger picture when it comes to grieving those she's lost, looking to her loved ones who are still alive and who need her - she remains strong for her friends and family.
"What's the alternative?" she asks, pointedly. "We have to get on with life for the family, the children, your grandchildren, your friends who need you," she says.
Explaining further, the presenter says choosing to remain positive isn't easy. "You have to do a head job every so often, it's painful," she says while reflecting on her grief.
"You have to carve out a new type of life, don't you? Slowly you sort of get into a different rhythm and a different situation."
Two very important people in her life are Caron's sons, Charlie and Gabriel. Charlie, 30, got married last year, and Gloria is very close to his wife, sharing, "Caron would have loved her daughter-in-law. I love her like my own grandchild.
"It's very, very healing seeing the generations carry on," she adds, also revealing that she remains in touch with Caron's husband, Russ, and keeps up socially with her grandchildren as they like to visit the same social spots.
When asked about her thoughts on dating after the loss of Stephen, Gloria unsurprisingly isn't ready for this yet. "It's not even in my head. It's too raw yet," she says.
