John Barrowman has revealed his mother Marion has died aged 91 as he shared a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram. On Tuesday, the actor posted a devastating statement on social media alongside a slew of snaps with his mother.
The TV star, 59, revealed he missed saying a final goodbye as he was stuck on a flight. He wrote: 'It is with a very heavy and broken heart that I share that my beautiful mum, Marion Barrowman, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday evening, surrounded by love, exactly the way she wanted.'
'Scott and I were still on a plane when we received the news. My dad was holding her hand as she took her last breath, my brother was by her side, and my sister had just spent precious weeks with them before saying goodbye over the phone.'
'Although I wasn’t there for the exact moment she passed, when I arrived home I lay beside her, talked to her, and softly sang our little song in her ear.'
'While our hearts are shattered, we are grateful she left this world peacefully, in comfort, and surrounded by the people she loved most.'
'Many of you knew my mum through the stories I’ve shared over the years, and many of you met her on tour, at conventions, or proudly standing beside the stage watching me perform. She adored all of it — the sparkle, the laughter, the music, and especially all of you.'
'My mum was truly one of a kind: full of love, glamour, mischief, kindness, and joy. Always dressed to the nines, never without her hair done, makeup perfect, and a little bling sparkling somewhere. I always say I am my mother’s son because she gave me my voice, my humour, my love of performing, and my joy for life.'
'She fiercely loved her family, and she embraced Scott as a son from day one. When Scott and I married in Cardiff and someone warned there could be protests, my mum simply said, “Let them try — I’ll batter them with my Chanel handbag.”'
'For the last two and a half years, Scott and I had the privilege of caring for both my mum and dad in our home. We could not have done it without her incredible nurse and caregiver, Maria, whose compassion, dignity, and devotion lifted our family every day.'
'Because of this loss, and so I can be with my family during this incredibly difficult time, I have had to cancel upcoming shows. Thank you all for your love, kindness, and support.'
'That was Mum. Strong, funny, loving, glamorous, and unforgettable. Love always, John & Scott'
His mother's passing comes just four months after he announced the death of his beloved dog. The Scottish-American actor, known for roles in Doctor Who and Desperate Housewives, sobbed as he revealed that the beloved pet had died peacefully in his arms, after 'waiting until I got home' to say goodbye. Unable to hold back his tears, he voiced his gratitude that the pooch - named Captain Jack Harkness - had not suffered and had passed from old age, at 18 years old.
John's tragic losses come after a difficult few years for the Scottish star, after he was 'blacklisted' following misconduct allegations. He has struggled to find work since he was accused of exposing himself to co-workers while on set of Doctor Who and Torchwood, between 2005 and 2011. The apparent behaviour came to light in 2021, when he was dragged into a Guardian investigation into Noel Clarke – his one-time co-star on Doctor Who – who faced allegations of bullying and sexual misconduct from 26 women.
John was quickly dumped from his job as a judge on ITV's Dancing on Ice and has said since he was 'blacklisted completely' from the entertainment industry, causing him to fall into a depression and have suicidal thoughts. However, last year he insisted he does not 'regret anything' and defended that on the set: 'Everybody was doing outrageous, silly things. It's just that they weren't dragged into this situation by a piece of lazy journalism.'
Speaking on STV's Scotland Tonight, John insisted 'nobody complained' and that he didn't see his behaviour as 'outrageous'. He said: 'I don't regret anything. It's not so much regret; it was something that was stupid and silly and it was done. I don't look back and go... because at the time, everybody was laughing. Everybody on set was having a laugh.'
And when questioned if he was 'basically flashing', he denied: 'No, no, no, no, no. This is where it gets a little misconstrued. I was not walking around flashing people randomly and doing things like that. If I were doing a nude scene... they'd say, "do you want to go back to the trailer" I'd say, "no just leave me here" - it was meant to be a closed set - and I'd say, "leave me here and let's save time, I'll just stand here and it'll save time that I don't have to go back, have to change, then you have to bring me back and we have to start all over again". So I would stand there, if I was in a nude scene, completely naked, and if somebody walked on set, which they weren't supposed to or they were, I might just do something like that [jiggles] and it was nothing outrageous. I didn't see it as outrageous. It was a different time.'
