Joe Swash has shared his heartbreak over not being able to fulfil his grandmother's last wish following her tragic passing in May. The TV star appeared on Loose Women on Friday to discuss his grief, revealing that his family were unable to throw his grandmother Fran the funeral she wanted due to restrictions in the wake of COVID-19. "That’s the difficulty with losing someone at the moment. We didn’t get to say goodbye," he said. "The thought of my nan being on her own as well is really difficult."
© Photo: InstagramJoe Swash with his Nan Fran
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The 38-year-old added: "And the funeral, not everyone could come to the funeral. She was so important to us, she had 24 grandkids and 12 great-grandkids, so she’s going to be missed so much. We’re devastated. It happening during the coronavirus which means I couldn’t fulfil my Nan’s last wishes. She’d planned her funeral, she knew how she wanted it. It’s been really difficult, but I’m not the only one going through it."
The former EastEnders star took to Instagram to pay tribute to his relative last month, uploading a throwback family photo showing his Nan holding baby Rex – Joe's son with Stacey Solomon. "Good night Nanny Fran," he wrote. "Sleep well. I miss you so much already. I'm heartbroken. I wish I could have spent more time with you. I wish I could have seen you more before you left us. I wish I could have said goodbye. But I know you know how much we all love you and you'll be watching down on us, looking after us forever more. Goodbye Nan. Love you."
© Photo: InstagramJoe and Stacey Solomon share son Rex
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On the ITV show, Joe also voiced his support for Loose Women's Stand By Your Man campaign, which encourages men to open up and talk about their mental health. He explained: "I’m not really the best person because I don’t talk a lot myself, I hold a lot in. I could take a leaf out of that book and try and open up a little bit. I think it’s difficult sometimes for certain people."
He added: "I’m so lucky, I’ve got Stacey, I’ve got a tight-knit family. I know if I need to talk about anything, they’re all there for me and I think, for me, that’s the most important thing. But yeah, I think I need to work on that myself - be a little bit more open and talk openly. Stacey will tell you the same as well."
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