The Loose Women panel opened Thursday's ITV show with an emotional message for co-star Ruth Langsford after she revealed her dog Maggie had died aged 16.
Charlene White, Brenda Edwards, Judi Love and Kéllé Bryan took a moment at the start of the programme to acknowledge the loss and send their love to their colleague. This week, Ruth shared a photograph of her beloved dog Maggie on social media, telling followers that her much-loved pet had died peacefully with her family beside her.
Panel's heartfelt reaction
Addressing viewers, Charlene said: "We're going to start with some really sad news, actually. It came as a bit of a shock to all of us this morning when our Ruth shared the news that her beloved dog Maggie has sadly passed away."
The panel reflected on how familiar Maggie had become to both viewers and Ruth's fellow presenters over the years. For Brenda, the news was particularly poignant because Maggie had come up in conversation on the show just days before.
Memories shared on air
She said: "We were literally on the panel on Monday talking about Ruth and Maggie. Maggie is in every single conversation, and I'm sending so much love to Ruth right now because this is really sad."
Judi explained that having her own cat, Bella, had helped her understand the close bond between people and their pets. Kéllé also spoke about Maggie's relationship with Ruth's mother, recalling the happiness the dog brought her during visits as she followed the journey on social media.
Tribute to Maggie
She said: "Absolutely, and I think the relationship between Maggie and Ruth's mum has been one that we've all followed, and it's been so lovely that every time Maggie goes in, mum lights up."
Charlene added: "We just absolutely adore Ruth, and we just know what a hit this will be."
In her tribute, Ruth wrote: "It is with a heavy heart that I tell you our beautiful Maggie has gone to sleep forever." She continued: "She was 16 years old, and sadly, this was her time. Her passing was painless and peaceful, and we were with her until the very end. We are so thankful to have had her in our lives for 15 years... she gave us so much joy and unconditional love. We will treasure our memories forever. Rest in peace, our beautiful girl."
Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV at 12.30pm.
