Widowed AF: Real stories of love, grief and beyond - With Rosie Moss

In this episode the host Rosie Moss speaks with Caroline Booth. Caroline is a widowed mother of two and the driving force behind a powerful grassroots campaign to reform bereavement support in the UK, born from her own experience of sudden loss and systemic failure.Caroline’s story begins with the unexpected loss of her husband Steve to aggressive bowel cancer. As she navigated the raw terrain of grief while raising two teenage sons, she quickly found herself caught in a bureaucratic maze—unable to access funds, unaware of her entitlements, and confronted by the limitations of a system that seemed designed to overlook her. Through candid reflection and honest frustration, Caroline details her journey from devastation to advocacy, sharing the real-life impacts of outdated policies, insufficient support, and public misperceptions. This conversation sheds light on how bereaved families are consistently let down, how contributory systems ignore lived complexity, and how a campaign powered by grief and solidarity is shifting the narrative. As Rosie notes, Caroline’s strength is not just in surviving, but in using her voice so others don’t face the same silence. “You look at your kids and you think, shit, actually, would I—how long could I pay my mortgage for if my husband died?”—a reflection many will carry forward.Caroline recounts her husband Steve’s swift decline from bowel cancer and the shock of widowhood after 30 years together—and how that grief became a catalyst for action.She shares the disorienting reality of navigating bereavement support systems, where help is hard to access and few are told it exists—especially in the critical first three months.The conversation reveals how policy decisions, such as freezing the Bereavement Support Payment since 2017, have left families adrift in the face of rising living costs and funeral expenses.Public misconceptions—like seeing bereavement support as “taxpayer handouts”—block meaningful dialogue and spotlight society’s discomfort with grief and dependency.Caroline’s campaign draws attention to solo parents navigating Universal Credit and how flawed benefit structures penalize them further, often creating enduring disadvantage.The discussion explores the limits of life insurance and how caregiving roles disrupt financial security—reminding listeners that bereavement is rarely something one can fully prepare for.A grassroots petition, powerful community solidarity, and even a song release (“Warrior”) are all part of Caroline’s effort to push for systemic change, one letter to Parliament at a time.

In this deeply moving episode, host Rosie Moss speaks with Christine Fader, an educator and advocate who became the primary caregiver to her husband, Michael, through his cancer journey.Christine and Michael met in 1997, an instant yet thoughtful connection that led to marriage within months. Long before cancer entered their lives, they were already navigating complexity, including Christine’s own chronic health condition. When Michael was diagnosed with cancer, the illness arrived layered with trauma. Treatment did not just cause physical pain. It resurfaced deep childhood wounds. Radiation masks triggered memories of abuse. Medical environments felt unsafe. Pain became inseparable from memory.Drawing on her background in medical education, Christine stepped into the dual role of caregiver and advocate, working to ensure Michael’s trauma was recognised and accommodated in a system that often overlooks it. Their story is not linear or neat. It moves through extraordinary love, startling pain, fierce advocacy, and profound tenderness. In his final days, Michael remained lucid and in excruciating pain, choosing to stay as long as he could. As he once told Christine, giving in to the cancer felt like giving in to the bad guys.Christine speaks openly about complex grief, including what it means to lose a long-term partner without children, and how she now channels that pain into education, advocacy, and storytelling. This is a conversation about love under pressure, trauma-informed care, and the quiet bravery of staying.In this episode, we explore:How Michael’s childhood trauma shaped his pain tolerance and mistrust of medical systems, and how Christine advocated for trauma-informed accommodations during treatmentThe emotional and ethical realities of caregiving through terminal illness, including assisted dying conversations and holding hope alongside hopelessnessHow Christine used her medical education background to design a student workshop on trauma-informed cancer careThe complexity of grief after losing a partner when there are no children, and how Christine built resilience through advocacy and storytellingWhy consent, slowing down, and assuming trauma may be present can radically improve medical careThe power of small rituals and personal notes during crisis, and Christine’s hope to one day shape these into a book honouring Michael’s storyContent warning: terminal illness, trauma, death#griefjourney #traumainformedcare #chronicillnesssupport #cancerstories #endoflifecare #caregiverlife #medicalconsent #partnerloss #mentalhealthawareness #resilientrelationships

In this episode of Widowed AF, Rosie Moss is joined by Betsy Ronel, a widow of 15 years, mother, New York real estate agent, and host of the podcast Heavens to Betsy.Betsy shares the story of her marriage to Daniel, a gifted plastic surgeon known for his integrity and deep ethical conviction. From early online dating to raising young children within a small-town medical community, their life together was shaped by love, ambition, and complexity. Daniel’s sudden death in a car accident shattered that world overnight, leaving Betsy to navigate shock, public scrutiny, parenting through trauma, and the long, slow work of survival.With striking honesty, Betsy reflects on the realities of widowhood that rarely get spoken about: the corrosive myths around “moving on,” the stigma attached to grief-related coping behaviours, and the way loss reshapes identity over years rather than months. She speaks candidly about mental health, financial instability, therapy, and rebuilding a life that still makes room for love and memory.Rosie and Betsy also explore the concept of what they call “pure grief”, mourning without betrayal or anger.Threaded throughout the conversation is humour, tenderness, and a deep respect for the person who died, alongside the hard truth that grief does not disappear. As Betsy puts it, “There’s no way around the grief, it will be waiting for you when you come back to Earth.”This is an episode about enduring love, dignity in grief, and finding ways to keep going without pretending the pain ever fully leaves.Key themes:Sudden loss and long-term widowhoodParenting children after the death of a parent“Pure grief” and mourning without betrayalMental health, stigma, and coping behavioursPublic scrutiny and navigating loss in small communitiesRebuilding identity and life after lossChapters0:02 Introducing Betsy Ronel and Shared Widowhood Experience5:08 Love After Loss: The Beginning of a New Chapter9:52 Building Family and Life Transitions17:24 Professional Challenges and Sudden Loss27:11 The Day Daniel Died and Immediate Aftermath43:40 Facing Grief, Public Scrutiny, and Legal Battles57:43 Navigating Grief and Single Parenthood64:31 Supporting Grieving Children and Parenting Challenges69:09 Financial Struggles, Rebuilding, and New Beginnings78:20 Reflections on Healing, Self-Compassion, and Endurance#widowhoodjourney #griefsupport #emotionalresilience #childbereavement #suddenloss #mentalhealthafterloss #parentingthroughgrief #careeraftertragedy #griefandhealing #traumaticloss

In this episode of Widowed AF, Rosie Moss sits down with Hannah Ramsey to tell a love story that began in childhood and ended far too soon.Hannah and her husband, Blue, met in primary school and spent 35 years building a life together. They raised four children, ran a business from home, renovated houses, travelled, laughed, and lived with a deep sense of partnership and mutual respect. Blue was thoughtful, practical, endlessly capable, and deeply present as both a husband and a father.Everything changed after a cycling accident on what should have been an ordinary ride. Hannah takes us into the disorienting world that followed: hospital corridors, neurological terminology, impossible waiting, and the unbearable moment of being told that survival would mean a life without consciousness. With honesty and quiet strength, she shares what it was like to sit with those realities, to honour long-held conversations about quality of life, and to say goodbye while still holding his hand.This conversation doesn’t shy away from the hardest parts of loss. Hannah speaks openly about the withdrawal of life support, the strange rituals of the hospital, the logistics that follow death, and the emotional weight of decisions no one ever expects to make. She also reflects on what helped her survive those early days: community, routine, gardening, friendship, and the permission to simply be “good enough” when perfection was impossible.Together, Rosie and Hannah explore the long tail of grief, the complexities of anger and compassion, the limits of traditional support spaces, and the quiet comfort found in shared stories and connection. It’s a tender, devastating, and deeply human episode about love, loss, and learning how to keep living when the person you built your world with is gone.Key themes:Childhood sweethearts and lifelong partnershipSudden loss and catastrophic injuryMaking end-of-life decisionsParenting after the death of a partnerCommunity, ritual, and surviving the early days of griefLearning to be “good enough” after loss

Rachel Hart-Phillips is back.You might remember her from season three, when she told the story of losing her husband to suicide while she was pregnant. Six years on, she’s raising their little boy, navigating the bits of grief that don’t come with a map, and building a life that holds both love and loss without trying to cancel either out.We talk about the strange reality of parenting a child who never met their dad, and the constant question of when to tell the full truth, and how. Rachel shares what helped her survive those first darkest months, why pregnancy became an anchor rather than an extra weight, and what it’s like to carry joy while still carrying grief.Since we last spoke, Rachel’s remarried, created a brilliantly bold card brand called Love Loss Disco Balls (because not everyone wants feathers and doves), and trained as a grief coach. We chat about the difference between counselling and coaching, the practical tools that can help when you feel stuck, and why talking about the hard stuff can take the sting out of it.It’s honest, funny in places, tender in others, and one of those episodes that leaves you feeling a little less alone.Links to Rachel’s work: https://www.instagram.com/afterglowthroughgrief/https://www.lovelossdiscoballs.co.uk/?srsltid=AfmBOoq5Vh5X_klW7AIYi32G22-bJ2QF_DNLLQ2WSpIIBNZp2fZNn3DQ#suicideloss #griefjourney #widowedparent #mentalhealthawareness #griefcoaching #blendedfamilies #grievingwhilepregnant #onlinedatingafterloss #smallbusinesssupport #holidaysafterloss

In this episode, it’s just me.I recorded this on Christmas Eve to mark the end of season three and to say thank you. There’s no script and no guest. Just a chance to talk honestly about the year that’s been.I reflect on winning Gold at the podcast awards and why it still feels surreal. I talk about my marriage ending, going back to solo parenting, and supporting my neurodivergent daughter through school burnout and anxiety. I share how close I came to burning out myself, and what it’s really like trying to hold everything together as the only parent.I also talk about the Soul Sisters retreat I hosted at my home and how unexpectedly joyful and healing it was. There’s an update on the book, losing a publisher, starting again, and why launching it on the anniversary of Ben’s death feels right.There’s some laughter, some honesty, and a bit about Christmas and the pressure we put on ourselves to get it right.If you’ve listened this season, shared an episode, or sent a message, thank you. This podcast exists because of you.Season four starts in January.#widowedparent #neurodivergentkids #griefcommunity #healingafterloss #homeschoolinglife #selfpublishingjourney #christmasgrief #podcastawardwinner #griefandresilience #widowedaf

In this episode, Rosie Moss speaks with teacher and young widow Amy Brunt, whose life changed overnight when her husband Max died suddenly from meningococcal septicemia in December 2023. Amy shares their story with candour and affection, beginning with the playful first date where they unknowingly arrived in matching outfits, through marriage, motherhood, and the everyday quirks that made Max unforgettable.She recounts the joy of their life together, home renovation chaos, and a sunrise proposal, before guiding us through the unbearable shock of Max’s rapid illness. Amy describes navigating emergency care while holding their newborn son, the guilt, the fear, and the moment she held Max’s hand through his final hours. She takes us into the early days of grief with a baby in her arms and a toddler beside her, naming the numbness, the survival, and the night time ritual she still keeps for Lane: “Mommy loves you, Daddy loves you. Daddy is always watching.”This is an episode about sudden loss, but also about endurance, ritual and community. Amy reflects on solo parenting, loneliness, the unlikely friendships that have buoyed her, and the brutal tension of Christmas after bereavement. It sits with the pain while honouring the love that remains.Episode Highlights / Show Notes• Meeting Max after giving up on online dating• Their first date, matching outfits and immediate connection• Eccentric quirks and everyday love• A wedding, pregnancy and a dream trip to Australia• Max’s sudden illness and rapid decline• Amy’s caregiving experience and his final hours• Parenting young children through loss• Rituals that keep Max close• New friendships, support and surviving Christmas#youngwidow #suddenloss #meningococcalsepticemia #soloparenting #widowedmothers #AmyBrunt #MaxBrunt #bereavement #lifeafterloss #WidowedAF #RosieMoss #griefandmotherhood #healingthroughcommunity #Christmasgrief #widowsupport #griefrituals

In this episode, Rosie Moss speaks with Derek Tweedie about the kind of love that spans continents and decades, and the kind of loss that reshapes what it means to live well.Derek shares the story of meeting his wife Judy in Edinburgh by chance, falling in love across cassette tapes and long distance phone calls, and building a full life between Scotland and Australia. Their partnership carried them through parenthood, careers and intimate quiet moments before a sudden glioblastoma diagnosis changed everything.Derek speaks with quiet honesty about Judy’s decline, the eighteen weeks he cared for her at home, and why he sees those days as his greatest achievement. He recalls the community effort that completed Judy’s PhD in her name while she was still able to hear the news, and the beauty threaded through unbearable days.This is not an episode that offers answers, but presence. Derek reflects on loneliness, the shock of grief, the tentative world of dating again, signs and symbolism, and how literature and landscape help him keep Judy close. Together, he and Rosie explore what it means to give someone a good death, and then to try to live fully afterwards.Episode Highlights / Show Notes• A chance meeting in Edinburgh becomes a life partnership• Long distance love before technology made it easy• Judy’s abrupt glioblastoma diagnosis and decline• Derek’s caregiving journey at home• Community effort to complete Judy’s PhD• Parenting adult grief and navigating holidays• Dating again and seeking connection• Quiet reflections on death, memory and meaning#widowhood #caregiving #glioblastoma #griefjourney #bereavementpodcast #widowedpartner #lovestory #endoflifecare #gooddeath #parentingthroughloss #lifeaftercaregiving #DerekTweedie #JudyTweedie #RosieMoss #WidowedAF #healingstories #meaningafterloss #findingconnectionagain

In this special episode, Rosie Moss sits down with entrepreneur, widow and community builder Nicky Wake to explore the power of widow led spaces. Nicky is best known for founding Chapter Two Dating and Widows Fire, two platforms that reshape how widows re enter intimacy and connection. Her newest venture, The Widow Collective, goes even deeper, creating a free, grassroots home for widowed people to meet, talk and feel understood.Together, Rosie and Nicky unpack why widowhood needs its own spaces, how unmet needs sparked these projects, and what happens when grief meets humour, friendship and real world support. Nicky talks candidly about her own loss, parenting and recovery, and why she believes solidarity is life saving.This episode is an invitation to join the conversation and a glimpse into what The Widow Collective is building next.Episode Highlights / Talking Points• Why Nicky created Chapter Two Dating and Widows Fire• The launch of The Widow Collective and how it already serves thousands• Peer led support through Zoom chats, forums and local meetups• Tackling taboo topics openly• Why grief literacy matters for society• Nicky’s personal journey, motherhood and recovery#widowhood #griefsupport #bereavementcommunity #widoweddating #ChapterTwoDating #WidowsFire #TheWidowCollective #RosieMoss #NickyWake #WidowedAF #peersupport #lifeafterloss #griefliteracy #widowsintheUK #healingincommunity

In this deeply honest episode, Rosie Moss sits down with author, coach and mental health advocate Tabby Kerwin to talk about the kind of love that shifts you, the kind of loss that breaks you, and the slow, unexpected freedom that can grow from grief.Tabby takes us inside her story with Simon, her late husband. First they were musicians side by side, then partners wrapped in intimacy, humour and shared purpose. They weathered an untypical cancer journey together, marked by delayed diagnosis, brutal treatment, remission, and a devastating infection that cut their time short.This is a conversation about love, but it is equally about survival. Tabby opens up about parenting through bereavement, allowing her son Ollie autonomy in his grief, and the hidden pain of carrying the truth alone until she finally let family in before goodbye.We talk about mental health, inherited expectations, and the teenage grief that shaped her early adulthood. Tabby reflects on the moment widowhood became permission rather than punishment, letting her live truthfully, speak publicly, and refuse shame.She shares the solace she found in tiny rituals, prawn dumplings, Grey’s Anatomy, community, and fierce honesty. And she names the bittersweet peace of being content in her own company post loss, no longer running but coming home to herself.If you have ever loved deeply, lost painfully, or rebuilt quietly, this episode will meet you where you are.Episode Highlights / Show Notes• Love and connection through music• A complex cancer journey and sudden loss• Parenting and autonomy in grief• Mental health, teenage bereavement and identity• Choosing authenticity and advocacy over silence• Widowhood as a turning point into selfhood• Finding peace in singleness, community and purpose#widowhood #griefsupport #bereavementpodcast #widowedparents #griefjourney #mentalhealth #cancerloss #lifeafterloss #singleparenting #identityaftergrief #TabbyKerwin #SimonKerwin #lovestory #resilience #healingafterloss #womensstories #RosieMoss #WidowedAF #griefcommunity

In this episode, Rosie Moss speaks with Becky Shepherd, a mother of two and the widow of Paul, her husband of more than twenty years. What begins as a warm and funny look back at their early romance in Birmingham unfolds into a raw, deeply human account of sudden loss and the impossible steps that follow.Becky talks about meeting Paul in her early twenties and the ease of falling in love with someone who felt like home from the start. Together they built a loud, music-filled family life where their sons, Jake and Archie, grew up knowing a present and devoted dad. “We were his hobby,” Becky says, remembering nights spent dancing in the kitchen and the ordinary joy of being together.Everything changed on a family holiday in Turkey when Paul, a healthy forty six year old, suffered a cardiac arrest in the hotel gym. Becky describes the desperate search for a defibrillator that did not exist, the kindness of strangers who stepped in to help her boys, and the moment in the hospital when her world shattered.In the days that followed, she navigated repatriation, post-mortem paperwork, and the unbearable task of telling her sons that their dad had died. She also shares glimmers of light: the boys choosing Paul’s sunglasses and drumsticks for his coffin, music from their family life echoing through the funeral, and the quiet gratitude that life insurance allowed them to keep their home.With honesty, humour, and a remarkable steadiness, Becky reflects on grief, anger, love, and rebuilding. Together, she and Rosie explore how widowhood reshapes a life and why remembering the good years matters just as much as surviving the hard ones.#widowhood#grief #suddenloss #soloparenting #bereavement #cardiacarrest #familyholidaytragedy #rebuildingafterloss#widowedparents #griefpodcast #WidowedAF #loveandloss #parentingthroughgrief #youngwidowhood #survivingtheunimaginable

In this deeply human and beautifully raw episode, Rosie Moss sits down with Aimie Strachan, a widow and mother of two whose husband John died suddenly from an undiagnosed aortic dissection. What unfolds is a conversation full of love, shock, courage, and the fierce tenderness of solo parenting after loss.Aimie traces their story from meeting as young teachers in Dubai to the ease and joy of their marriage, and then to the night everything changed. With heartbreaking clarity she describes the medical crisis that unfolded, the impossible decisions she faced, and the moment she had to tell her children that their dad had died.Rosie and Aimie explore the messy truth of grief. The anger. The bitterness. The lonely practicalities. The way it lands differently on children. And the exhaustion of trying to access the right support. Amid the devastation there is also movement. Aimie talks about how community, creativity, the outdoors, and connection with other widows helped her find her footing again. She has since launched a Whitley Bay brand in John’s honour and is determined to live with more urgency and intention. Life is so short. Just do the thing.This conversation offers space for heartbreak, softness, rage, growth, and the small quiet moments of hope that show up when you least expect them.Show NotesIn this episode Rosie and Aimie talk about• How Aimie met her husband John in Dubai and how quickly and naturally their relationship grew• Building a life together, marrying, and welcoming their two children• The sudden onset of John’s symptoms and the unfolding of a rare aortic dissection• The confusion, urgency and helplessness of those final hours in hospital• The emotional and practical reality of end of life decisions• The moment Aimie told her children their dad had died and the ongoing impact on them• How grief shows up in children in unexpected ways and why childhood bereavement needs more awareness and support• The anger, bitterness and sheer exhaustion of grieving inside a broken mental health system• Finding comfort in nature, forest school sessions and small grounding routines• The power of community and widowed friendship in the early stages of loss• Launching a heartfelt Whitley Bay brand in John’s honour and rediscovering purpose• Why Aimie now leans into life’s brevity and pushes herself to do the things she once hesitated over• Navigating difficult seasons like Christmas with honesty and gentleness

In this episode, host Rosie Moss sits down with writer and solo parent Emma Charlesworth, whose husband Charlie died of COVID-19 during the first UK lockdown. Emma’s memoir, Daddy Going to Be Okay?, grew from voice notes and late night blog posts into a powerful account of grief, parenting through trauma, and finding connection in the darkest days.Emma shares the story of Charlie’s final days in hospital, the painful reality of ICU restrictions, and the moment she had to answer her daughter’s impossible question about whether Daddy would come home. Together, Rosie and Emma talk about the invisible work of widowhood, the small moments that keep you going, and the way grief shifts and reshapes your life long after the world expects you to be fine.This is a raw and hopeful conversation about love, honesty, resilience, and the courage it takes to tell your story.Key themes from the episode include:• Emma’s account of losing her husband Charlie during the earliest days of COVID-19 and the emotional toll of ICU restrictions and isolation.• Parenting her daughter Rebekah through grief and choosing honesty over false reassurance when asked, “Is Daddy going to be okay?”• How social media became a lifeline that humanised the statistics dominating the headlines.• Writing as survival, beginning with private notes and blog posts that grew into an award-winning blog and eventually a book.• The invisible labour of widowhood, from solo parenting and finances to the fear that appearing “fine” will make your pain invisible.• The way grief shows up years later in unexpected moments and the role of symbols, like tattoos and travel, in marking resilience.• Emma’s belief that grief never ends, but it does change. “Grief is a book on the shelf. It is still there, but surrounded by other stories now.”The episode closes with a conversation about the meaning behind her book’s title and the small joys, like a bouncing Tigger, that sit beside heartbreak in the story of love, loss, and carrying on.#widowhood #grief #soloparenting #covidgrief #bereavement #parentingafterloss #widowedmum #memoir #loss #resilience #mentalhealth #trauma #storytelling #widowcommunity #griefsupport #WidowedAF #RosieMoss #EmmaCharlesworth

In this episode the host Rosie Moss speaks with Karen Sutton. Karen is the UK’s first widow coach and a leading voice in the grief community, known for her deeply personal approach to navigating widowhood, parenting after loss, and reclaiming life after tragedy.Together, Rosie and Karen delve into the raw terrain of life after the sudden death of a spouse. Karen shares the moment she learned of her husband Simon’s fatal cycling accident, the difficult task of telling her young daughters, and the silent years of muddling through grief while shepherding her family forward. The conversation balances the brutal truth of early widowhood with flashes of humour, love, and resilience, from the chaos of partying and drinking to the quiet breakthrough when her children helped her face herself. Karen illuminates how she moved from survival into purpose, transforming her experience into support for others, and why she now sees herself as a grief sherpa. With candid reflections and gentle insight, this episode explores what it means to parent, thrive, and feel joy again after unimaginable loss. “I did not want this to define my life in a negative way,” Karen says. “I want to find a way to live.”The moment loss arrived: Karen recounts the trauma of learning about Simon’s sudden death and the instinctive scramble to protect her children from the truth, all before her own grief had time to land.Parenting through pain: Both daughters responded to grief differently, one silent and one explosive, and Karen shares how she navigated their emotional and academic setbacks with compassion and determination.Facing the mirror: After spiralling into denial and exhaustion, a quiet nudge from her children catalysed Karen’s transformation from survival to healing, fuelled by self-inquiry and self-kindness.Living proof of growth: Karen challenges the idea that moving on means forgetting, instead modelling a life where grief and joy can coexist. “It is okay not to be okay, but it is also okay to be okay.”Grief as choice and agency: Rather than feeling shaped by loss, Karen reclaimed agency, choosing from millions of different directions the one where she lives fully while honouring Simon’s memory.The grief sherpa approach: Karen discusses the coaching work she now offers, from vibrant retreats to community support, blending grief care with personal development and authentic connection.Letting go of perfection: The discussion unpacks how modelling self-compassion teaches children resilience. “You are not perfect, but you do not need to be, and you are doing your best.”https://www.karensutton.co.uk#widowhood #grief #griefsupport #parentingafterloss #suddenloss #childbereavement #KarenSutton #widowcoach #griefjourney #healingafterloss #widowedmum #resilience #findingpurpose #lifeafterloss #WidowedAFPodcast

When Mat Owen lost his wife Nic to breast cancer in 2023, his world was turned upside down. Left to raise their two young children, he faced the unimaginable: grieving the love of his life while trying to stay present as a father.In this powerful and deeply human conversation, Rosie and Mat explore what it means to parent through loss, love someone through illness, and rebuild life when the person who anchored you is gone. Mat speaks with raw honesty about emotional shutdown, male grief, and the isolation that often comes with being a widowed dad. He shares the highs and heartbreak of his life with Nic, from meeting in their teens to defying medical odds to become parents, and the quiet strength she showed throughout her cancer journey.Together, they reflect on the small, everyday moments that carry enormous weight: bedtime routines, school WhatsApp threads, a child’s comment about a photo, and the instant you realise your daughter looks just like her mum. The episode also delves into coping after loss, from alcohol use to dating apps, and the difficult but hopeful path toward self-compassion and sobriety.This is a conversation about love that refuses to fade, the legacy of a mother’s strength, and the courage it takes to keep showing up. Mat’s story is a reminder that even in the depths of grief, we can find purpose, connection, and hope.Episode highlights:• Mat reflects on meeting Nic in his early twenties and how her strength and clarity brought purpose and love into his life.• They navigate the shock of a cancer diagnosis in 2011, a relationship tested through treatment, and their fierce determination to become parents against medical predictions.• Mat discusses the return of Nic’s cancer after the birth of their second child, the emotional strain it brought, and Nic’s unwavering resilience through her final years.• Together, they confront male emotional reticence in grief and the unexpected difficulty of building support networks as a widowed father.• Mat shares how he and Nic co-created child-friendly bereavement tools, “cancer flashcards,” and how he now carries that legacy forward. https://www.littlecclub.com/shop• The conversation explores coping mechanisms after loss, from alcohol use to dating apps, and the difficult but hopeful path toward sobriety and reconnection.• Parenting after loss is shown in touching detail, from school run routines to gently helping children navigate insensitive playground remarks.• They close on how grief reshapes identity, the quiet pride Mat finds in being “the school mum,” and the presence of Nic in the children she left behind.

In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with Laura Plowman, who lost her partner Gavin to terminal cancer just months after the birth of their son. A former police officer, Laura shares her journey of love, loss and survival with breathtaking honesty and quiet strength.Laura and Gavin met through work in 2018, their relationship moving quickly from first dates to buying a home and welcoming a baby in June 2020. But their new family life was abruptly upended when Gavin collapsed in their garden and was diagnosed with an aggressive spinal tumour. Just five weeks after symptoms began, doctors told them his cancer was incurable, with a prognosis of only 12 to 18 months.Laura describes becoming both a new mother and a caregiver to her paralysed husband. She shares tender and painful memories: their backyard wedding, Gavin’s choice to stop chemotherapy in favour of quality time, his voice notes recorded for their son, and the mixture of dark humour and fragile intimacy that helped them endure. “It was beautiful, yet horrendous, yet unfair,” Laura reflects of Gavin’s final hours, a line that captures the raw and contradictory landscape of this conversation.Now parenting their child alone, Laura speaks about helping him grieve a father he will never truly know, rediscovering moments of joy, and leaning on therapy, music and widow communities for strength. Her story is devastating and hopeful, full of love, loss and the small ways life carries on.This conversation explores:Laura’s whirlwind love story with Gavin, from awkward first impression to cohabitation, engagement and parenthoodThe devastating collapse in the garden that led to a terminal diagnosis five weeks laterBalancing medical treatment with quality of life as Gavin chose to end chemotherapyFragile and intimate moments: a backyard wedding, shared hospital jokes and voice notes for their baby sonFacing death together, from syringe drivers to spirituality to Gavin’s final hoursNavigating solo parenting and helping a young child grieve a parent they will never fully knowRediscovering life through therapy, music and widow support communities where grief and laughter coexist

Rosie speaks to Michelle Watson Rhodes, who shares the devastating story of losing her fiancé Mike to a sudden heart attack just six months before their planned wedding.Michelle and Mike’s love story began during the stillness of lockdown, unfolding through long walks, shared breakfasts and the kind of everyday companionship that makes life feel steady. A quiet proposal by the river led to plans for a wedding in Jamaica until everything changed in a single night.Michelle reflects on the night she lost Mike, the desperate attempt at CPR and the unimaginable aftermath of being treated as a suspect, facing hostility from an estranged family and fighting to be recognised in her grief.She also shares how she holds onto Mike’s legacy, the man who once saved a stranger’s life and was honoured with an MBE, while slowly rebuilding her world with quiet courage and small rituals that help her keep going.This conversation is about love interrupted, grief without recognition and the resilience it takes to keep moving forward when everything has changed.

In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with Lisa Marshall, known online as @the_widowdiaries on Instagram and TikTok. Lisa has built a powerful community by sharing her journey of surviving the sudden suicide of her husband Alan and raising three young children in the aftermath.Through raw honesty and reflection, Lisa opens up about the shock of widowhood, the silence that often surrounds suicide, and the everyday reality of parenting through unimaginable grief. From breaking the news to her children, to navigating their neurodivergent needs, to finding fleeting signs of comfort in ladybirds and flickering lights, she offers a candid and unflinching account of resilience, love, and survival.This conversation explores:The shock of suicide and the unanswered questions it leaves behindParenting as a widow compared with single parenting after separationExplaining suicide to children with honesty and compassionThe weight of public expectations and private griefFinding meaning in small signs, stories, and shared communityThis episode is a moving reminder that grief lives in school runs, packed lunches, and the quiet work of staying present for those still here.

In this episode Rosie Moss is joined by Zoe Flory, who shares the story of her late partner Patrick from their whirlwind first meeting in a Brighton pub to navigating his terminal cancer diagnosis to raising their daughter Addie after his death.With unflinching honesty and flashes of humour, Zoe speaks about the reality of becoming a full-time caregiver, the heartbreak of watching Patrick fade under the weight of cancer and Lynch syndrome, and the extraordinary tenderness that carried them through.Zoe recalls the messy, magical, and devastating moments: draining fluid from Patrick’s lungs at home, creating “daddy magic” rituals for their toddler, and choosing a pub-style wake over the cremation she wasn’t ready for. She talks openly about preparing a young child for loss, using imaginative metaphors like “Daddy lives on the moon” to help Addie find comfort.Now living in a platonic co-parenting arrangement with a close friend, Zoe reflects on parenting through grief, reclaiming her own identity, and the contradictions of widowhood where love, loss, exhaustion and laughter all collide.This conversation is a reminder that grief is never simple, caregiving is never easy, and yet new forms of family and meaning can grow in the wake of heartbreak.

In this episode Rosie Moss speaks with Julie Farrin, who lost her husband Andy to glioblastoma, an aggressive and fast moving brain cancer.Julie shares the story of meeting Andy, falling for his quiet kindness, and marrying him just weeks before their world was turned upside down. She talks about the first seizure that led to his diagnosis, the challenges of treatment during lockdown, and the painful reality of watching his words, independence and dignity slip away.Together we explore what it meant to become a full time carer so early in marriage, the mix of exhaustion and dark humour that carried her through, and the heartbreak of hospice and widowhood. Julie also reflects on life after Andy, returning to work too soon, panic attacks, health struggles of her own, and the slow work of building a life without him.She is honest about the isolation, the decisions she never thought she would face, and the importance of keeping Andy’s memory alive. As Julie puts it, “We are the gatekeepers, the memory keepers.”We talk about:• Julie and Andy’s love story and the early signs of glioblastoma• The impact of lockdown on treatment and caregiving• Watching decline up close and making end of life decisions• The burden of being the only caregiver and managing others’ denial• Choosing not to pursue motherhood under impossible circumstances• Returning to work, health struggles and the ongoing reality of grief• Why storytelling matters and how memory keeping keeps loved ones close