Lynda Bellingham's widower Michael Pattemore has spoken out about losing his "soulmate", five months after she tragically lost her battle with bowel cancer. Speaking in an interview on This Morning, Michael discussed how he is coping with losing his beloved wife.
"I cry every day, but I laugh a lot as well," he revealed, adding: "I laugh more than I do cry now, which is good."
Speaking ahead of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, Michael also said that he believed Lynda's life could have been saved if she was given a simple test for cancer. The 59-year-old echoed the sentiments of Lynda's son, Michael Peluso, by saying that had she been given a colonoscopy her cancer would have been detected sooner.
Michael Pattemore said Lynda Bellingham was his soulmate
Lynda passed away "in her husband's arms" on 19 October after a 15-month battle with colon cancer. The Loose Women star was vocal about her illness and previously said she wanted to live to see one last Christmas – something which Michael knew was unlikely to happen.
"The week that she died, I didn't think it was going to happen that week. I knew she wanted to get to Christmas and I knew that was never going to happen. I talked to Justin her Oncologist and he said 'Look, we can probably get her to the beginning of December.' My thought was then, 'Well maybe we'll have an early Christmas'."
Despite losing his wife sooner than expected, Michael has nothing but incredible memories of his time with Lynda, who he married in 2008.
© Photo: RexMichael said being with Lynda Bellingham was the best ten years of his life
"It was fantastic. It was the best ten years of my life, and from what I can gather from all of her friends – because she never had an easy life as we all well know – I think I gave her ten good years, and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it."
The widower joined Lynda's family and friends for a private memorial service in February, held at the church where Lynda and Michael married on her 60th birthday.
