Heartbroken Holly Matthews has thanked her fans for all their support following the death of her "incredible" husband Ross Blair this week. The former Waterloo Road and Doctors actress revealed that she and her two young daughters - Brooke and Texas - have been surrounded by the "very best" people. In her latest Facebook post, the 32-year-old wrote: "Well, today is the first day I have really taken a breath and looked at the thousands of messages I have received and you are good people."
She added: "I don't think I have to really go into how painful right now is, because it's fairly [expletive] obvious, but I have the very best people surrounding me and looking out for me, so I know I will be OK (not now, but eventually). The girls are also OK and just the most incredible little people in the world." Ross, son of ex-Aston Villa and Coventry City player Andy Blair, passed away aged 32 in Myton Hospice in Coventry after losing his battle with cancer.
Revealing details of the funeral, Holly has asked well-wishers to wear football shirts if they wish to attend. "My beautiful girls will be by my side and completely and utterly supported," she continued. "I cannot possibly respond to everyone right now but at some point I will take time out to read through everything. I just need to take things in bitesize chunks and breath. I know you care though, you're good people."
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Ross, a property developer, was diagnosed with a rare aggressive malignant brain tumour in 2014. At the time he was given a 50-50 chance of surviving five years before undergoing brain surgery and chemotherapy. Holly, who has appeared in Byker Grove and The Bill, has been posting various video blogs on her YouTube channel, giving her followers updates into her life with her husband, whom she has been with for nine years.
