Dame Maureen Lipman, the beloved Coronation Street star, has bravely revealed intimate details about the painful loss of her husband, acclaimed playwright Jack Rosenthal, who passed away in 2004 after battling cancer.
In a raw and emotional interview, the 78-year-old actress described the heartbreaking moment she knew she was losing her partner of 30 years. "I remember saying to the doctor, 'Is he going to die?' And the doctor said, 'Yes, he is,'" Lipman shared, her voice trembling with emotion.
A Love Story Cut Short
The BAFTA-winning actress met Rosenthal when she was just 24, and their romance blossomed into one of showbusiness's most enduring marriages. "We had 30 wonderful years together," she reflected wistfully.
Lipman poignantly recalled her husband's final days: "Jack was in a hospice. I was holding his hand when he took his last breath. I felt it go cold in mine." The memory still brings tears to her eyes nearly two decades later.
Life After Loss
The grieving process proved challenging for the celebrated actress, who threw herself into work as a coping mechanism. "You don't get over it," she confessed. "You just learn to live with the absence."
Now starring as Evelyn Plummer in Coronation Street, Lipman finds comfort in her work and family, including her two children. She credits her resilience to "the healing power of time and the support of loved ones."
Fans have praised her honesty about the grieving process, with many relating to her experience of losing a life partner. The interview has sparked important conversations about bereavement and the different ways people cope with profound loss.
