Strictly Come Dancing's new host Josh Widdicombe has revealed he was left sobbing in a train station after the death of his beloved cat Beryl, aged 11.
The comedian will join Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe as part of the BBC show's new-look presenting team when the series returns in September. But behind the scenes, Josh and his family have been dealing with the death of their much-loved cat Beryl, who died aged 11.
Emotional confession on podcast
Speaking on his Parenting Hell podcast with fellow comedian Rob Beckett, Josh admitted he has struggled to come to terms with losing the family pet. “It is genuinely upsetting,” he said as he opened up about the emotional experience.
Josh explained that Beryl “just passed away overnight”, leaving him and his wife Rose Hanson devastated. He said: “She just passed away overnight. It was incredibly upsetting for me and Rose, I'll be honest. My daughter was very upset, but kids get over it incredibly fast.”
Sobbing at Exeter St Davids
The comedian then revealed just how deeply the loss had affected him, explaining that he had to travel to London shortly after Beryl died. While waiting for his train at Exeter St Davids, Josh became overwhelmed by his emotions.
He said: “I couldn't believe how upset I was. I didn't even care about cats when we got them. I actually had to get a train to London. And then I was on the platform at Exeter St Davids. I had to go into the toilet because I was crying. Just went into the toilet cubicle and sobbed.”
Grief for a pet vs a person
Josh's emotional admission came during a wider conversation with Rob about the different ways people deal with losing someone close to them. The pair discussed how losing a pet can bring a very different kind of grief to losing a person.
Josh said: “There's something about an animal dying where if a human dies, you know, which is obviously much worse, just to put that first. “There's a lot more questions when a human dies about what was my relationship like with them, should I have seen them more? “Plus there's all that stuff back on yourself like 'oh my God, time's passing.' You don't get that with a cat, it's literally purely about feeling incredibly sad that the cat won't be there anymore.”
Beryl's ashes are now kept in the same urn as her sister Eddie, which the family keeps on the mantelpiece at their home in Devon. And despite preparing for his major new TV role, Josh admitted he is still struggling with the loss.
He added: “Genuinely, I'm still not really over it. I know this sounds mad, but I'm struggling to connect with the other two cats. I feel resentful of them. I just wish it hadn't happened.”
Josh was something of a left-field choice when he was announced as part of Strictly's new presenting line-up following the departure of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly. The new series will launch next month, with celebrities including Dani Dyer, former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and singer Delta Goodrem among those taking part.
