Simon Thomas, the former Sky Sports presenter, has announced he is taking a break from social media after publicly revealing his new relationship, a year after his wife Gemma died from leukaemia.
On Tuesday, Thomas spoke about his new partner, describing her as "an incredible support". He thanked fans for their "very lovely support" but said he needed time off. In an Instagram post, he wrote: "Will be back in a couple of weeks to tell you about a new role I am taking on with @bloodwise and a big challenge I’m attempting next summer to raise money and awareness for #bloodcancer."
Earlier this week, Thomas told BBC Radio 5 Live that he is in the "early stages" of a new relationship. He said: "Right from the early stages – she had this empathy towards me. She’s Christian as well and that’s important to me as a man of faith. She’s been an incredible support for me. She was the only person who would always pick up the phone."
When asked if he is in love again, he admitted: "I’m getting there, yeah. It’s in many ways strange to feel that way again." However, he insisted he will never move on from his wife's death and that Gemma cannot be replaced. "Sometimes I struggle with the phrase ‘moving on’ – I don’t think you ever really do move on from what’s happened," he said.
Thomas also discussed the difficulty of introducing his new partner to his late wife's family. "The hard thing for Gemma’s family – they’ve not met her yet. She doesn’t want to appear insensitive, launching in there, ‘here I am guys’," he said. He added that the new relationship has been a "rockier path" for his partner than she might have chosen.
