Kym Marsh has paid tribute to her late father David Marsh on what would have been his 80th birthday. The 48-year-old TV presenter and actress shared a photo of her father smiling while holding a bowl of ice cream on Instagram, alongside a moving message.
In her post, Marsh wrote: 'Happy heavenly birthday Poppa Bear. You would have been 80 today and I so wish you were here to celebrate that! I would love nothing more than to hear you laugh and tell jokes and look at your amazing smiley face. I miss you so much Dad.' She added: 'You have left a huge hole in my life that can never be filled. My hero. My biggest champion. My world.'
David Marsh passed away in January last year at the age of 78, years after being diagnosed with cancer. The tribute comes after Marsh recently spoke about dealing with grief and offered advice on handling 'hard times'. In an interview with Closer magazine, she said: 'Life is always a struggle - it's not like all of a sudden, it's a fairy tale.' She encouraged others to 'just keep going', noting that things 'eventually' seem to 'pay off'.
Marsh also teased plans for her upcoming 50th birthday, saying she intends to 'put myself first for once'. Her remarks follow reports that she separated from her partner Samuel Thomas, 29, towards the end of last year. A source told The Sun that after her role in 101 Dalmatians - The Musical ended, it became 'harder to spend time together'.
Despite the split, Marsh is focusing on her career, including her role in Waterloo Road. A source told OK! magazine: 'She's done really well on Waterloo Road and is loving that... This journey of loving herself again has given her a real boost of confidence.'
