Gloria Hunniford, the Loose Women star, has announced the death of her husband Stephen Way at the age of 85. The couple had been married for 25 years, celebrating their silver wedding anniversary last year. Stephen, a renowned celebrity hairdresser, passed away on Tuesday following what the family described as a 'heroic fight' with an illness.
In a statement, Gloria said: 'Stephen was a gentleman and a giant of a man, who will leave the most enormous void not only in my life, but our entire family. He was an incredibly kind, generous, and caring man, with a delightfully quirky sense of humour, which remained till the end. We had a tremendously happy 25-year marriage and did so many beautiful and exciting things together that I will always cherish.'
Stephen had faced numerous health challenges in recent years, including a stroke in 2012 that left him partially blind in his right eye after a second stroke. He also suffered a heart attack in 2004 and was involved in a taxi accident in 2019 that fractured the base of his spine. Gloria previously praised the NHS for saving his life in 2020.
Gloria and Stephen married at St Peter's Church in Kent in 1998, with celebrations continuing at Hever Castle. Last year, the couple returned to the same spot to mark their 25th anniversary. Gloria credited their happy marriage to 'love, laughter and good conversation'.
Stephen was a pillar of support for Gloria following the death of her daughter Caron from breast cancer in 2004. Gloria has previously spoken of the profound loss of a child, describing it as 'the deepest sense of loss you can ever face'.
