This Morning stars Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard paid a heartfelt tribute to Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler following the announcement of her unexpected death at the age of 75. The Total Eclipse of the Heart singer died in hospital in Portugal on Wednesday night, July 8, after being treated for an illness.
Statement from Bonnie Tyler's Family
A statement on the singer's website read: "Bonnie's family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for. We will issue a further statement shortly but for now ask for privacy to deal with this tragedy." In May, it was reported that Tyler had been placed in an induced coma following emergency intestinal surgery.
On-Air Tributes on This Morning
During the ITV daytime show, hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley discussed the sad news with Nick Ferrari and Nicola Thorp. Ben said: "Really, really sad news has been announced just a few moments ago on Bonnie Tyler's website. The singer has sadly died at the age of 75."
Nick Ferrari, a veteran broadcaster, remembered Tyler warmly: "I remember interviewing her years ago because I was the pop reporter on The Sun at the time of Duran Duran and all these people and she was the most grounded person. She was lovely to interview and honestly, I remember her saying she couldn't quite believe how lucky she'd been, you know, a girl from Wales and she never took it for granted, always grounded and really, really decent matter. Great loss."
Cat Deeley shared a personal memory of meeting Tyler backstage when the singer appeared on Lorraine earlier this year. She added: "She was a lovely, lovely lady." Ben concluded: "Our thoughts are with all her friends and family during this really distressing time."
Bonnie Tyler's Final TV Appearance
Tyler made her final television appearance on ITV's Lorraine in February. During the interview, she spoke with host Lorraine Kelly about her upcoming tour, which had to be rescheduled due to illness. Lorraine said: "What I love about you, as well, there's new music coming out, and that will be woven in, but you always, always do the big hits that everybody wants to hear."
Bonnie responded: "Yeah, and I love singing them. People say to me, 'Don't you get fed up?' No!" She continued: "I often said, 'Next year I'm going to slow down,' but you know, I keep being able to do shows in great places and I love what I do. The band are great to be on the road with, we have a good time. On stage, as well, we have a lot of fun... I've had a wonderful journey."
Lorraine observed: "Your enthusiasm for what you do is infectious. What you said was you never get fed up singing those songs, why would you?" Reflecting on her signature hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie revealed: "Well, the first time I had heard it, I had shivers up my spine, you know. I couldn't believe that Jim Steinman was giving me this song to sing. It was always my dream. I wanted desperately to work with him. At the time, my record company said to me, 'Oh Bonnie, he's never gonna do it,' and I said, 'The least you could do is ask him.' And they said, 'Don't hold your breath.' And anyway, he did and I have two albums with him."
Legacy and Impact
Bonnie Tyler, born in Wales, rose to fame in the 1970s and became known for her distinctive husky voice. Total Eclipse of the Heart, released in 1983, remains one of the best-selling singles of all time. She continued to tour and record music well into her later years, earning a devoted fan base worldwide. Her unexpected death has prompted an outpouring of grief from fans and fellow musicians alike.
