On Thursday, Ruth Langsford revealed the devastating news that her sister Julia has passed away. The This Morning host announced the tragic loss on Twitter in a short statement. She wrote: "My lovely sis Julia has sadly died after a very long illness. My heart is completely broken. She was the kindest and most gentle soul and I will miss her forever. As I am sure you will appreciate, I need to take time to grieve with my family. Thank you for your understanding." The message was accompanied by a lovely photo of the pair together. Comments soon followed, with many of Ruth's fans sending their condolences. One wrote: "So sorry to hear this Ruth. It's so very, very difficult to deal with. Sending love and prayers to your family." Another added: "Love and prayers and virtual hugs. Can't imagine how it would feel to lose my sister."
Ruth Langsford revealed the sad news of her sister's death
MORE: Strictly Come Dancing star pulls out of tour - find out who
Julia was Ruth's older sister and the pair were extremely close. Julia had a daughter called Katie, and they lived nearby to Ruth and her family. In December, the Loose Women host shared a lovely picture of herself with Julia and Katie, and her mum Joan, as they enjoyed an afternoon tea in London. The girls' day out also saw them head to see a show in the West End, something that Ruth had previously described as her ideal way to spend the afternoon. In an interview with Daily Mail in 2015, Ruth listed how she would spend her fantasy 24 hours, and said: "I'd take Jack, my sister Julia and my niece Katie, 31, to a matinee in the West End, followed by a cream tea with the family."
Ruth with her sister Julia and their mum Joan
READ: Joe Swash reveals lovely news about baby Rex
Ruth often spoke about Julia while presenting Loose Women, and praised her big sister for being there so much for their mum. The TV presenter said: "My mum is in her eighties, and she doesn’t live that far from me. And my sister Julia is amazing, she lives a lot nearer to my mum and she does a lot for my mum. She's always there and I'm always working."
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
