Julia Bradbury has made an emotional confession about her mother, Chrissi. The former Countryfile presenter, 56, has always shared a close bond with her mum and revealed the 88-year-old is now "slowing down" as she opened up about her health.
Sea dip in Greece
Taking to Instagram, Julia shared a touching video of her mother dipping her feet into the sea in Greece while holding hands with her 14-year-old grandson, Zephyr. He is Julia's eldest child, while she also shares 11-year-old twin daughters Xanthe and Zena with her husband of 26 years, Gerrard Cunningham.
In the caption, the TV host wrote: "You can't live forever. But you can live well. My Mama Mou is 88 and slowing down.. she's on pills to keep her blood pressure down and her heart rate steady. Her kidneys aren't doing well and she wants to sleep a lot. So making the most of the time she's awake and feeling 'OK' is important."
Family bond
Julia continued: "She's never been a big outdoors kinda woman... She likes to potter around a peaceful garden but she was never the one climbing mountains and camping.
"We finally got her to get her feet wet in Greece! Well, her grandson did... She loves hard and is fiercely protective. A better mother we couldn't have. Complicated? Yeh. Loving? 100%. Dynamic and interesting? Always."
The star added: "Is this longevity? To be with your family at 88, eking out precious moments... I think so. We love you Mama."
Past tributes
Back in 2020, Julia opened up about the close bond she shares with her mother, praising her for giving her a "secure" childhood and revealing that it was something she wanted to pass on to her own children.
"We see each other most weeks and we're very involved as a family," she told HELLO! Magazine. "I could not have had a more loving, secure childhood.
"I don't think we've ever been in any doubt about the love there was, and that's the greatest security you can offer your children. And I'm trying to give that to my children."
"My mum is very driven, determined and stubborn, all traits that I've inherited," Julia added.
Cancer and IVF support
The TV star, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, shared how Chrissi supported her when she underwent five rounds of IVF treatment to conceive her daughters.
"She was amazing," Julia said. "IVF is not pleasant, so it was a matter of getting the balance right between sharing the right moments and not exposing her to too much pain as I knew it would be painful for her to see me going through it."
