Television legend Gloria Hunniford has opened up about the deep pain of grief she’s endured since losing her beloved husband Stephen Way, 15 months ago — and revealed her touching outlook on love, loss, and life after heartbreak.

The Loose Women star, 85, married businessman Stephen in 1998. His passing in August 2024 left what she calls “an enormous void not just in my life, but in our whole family.”

Speaking with The Mirror, Gloria reflected on navigating widowhood with quiet courage.

“You have to do a head job every so often — it’s painful. You have to carve out a new type of life. It’s hard at the beginning, but slowly, slowly, you find a different rhythm.”

 “I was lucky — 30 years of happiness is more than most ever get.”
Gloria and Stephen shared three decades together, filled with laughter, travel, and love.

“Some people never get 30 years of happiness, but I did,” she said softly. “So as much as he’s a huge loss, I’m grateful I had that time with him. I’ve been very lucky in my life.”

Her words come from a place of both heartbreak and gratitude — the kind of balance only time and faith can teach.

 Love After Loss? “It’s not even in my head.”
When asked about the possibility of finding love again, Gloria was firm but gentle.

“It’s not even in my head. It’s too raw. It’s only been just over a year,” she admitted. “But I do like having my male friends — people I’ve known for decades — I enjoy talking to them.”

Among those she holds dearest is her long-time friend Sir Cliff Richard, 85, whom she’s known for 55 years. She describes him as “wonderful and incredibly loyal.”

 “He was a gentleman and a giant of a man.”
After Stephen’s death, the family released a heartbreaking statement:

“Stephen had been heroically fighting his illness, always with tenacity and positivity.”

Gloria added her own tribute, calling him “a kind, generous, and caring man with a delightfully quirky sense of humour that stayed with him until the end.”

“We had a tremendously happy 25-year marriage and so many beautiful, exciting memories I’ll cherish forever,” she said.

Stephen was described by family and friends as “a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather.” His loss, Gloria admits, still feels “unreal.”

 A Life Marked by Love and Loss
This isn’t the first tragedy Gloria has faced. Her daughter, Caron Keating, died of cancer in 2004 at just 41. Reflecting on her journey through grief, Gloria says she’s learned that love doesn’t end — it changes shape.

“It’s painful,” she admitted, “but you carry them with you. Always.”

Gloria and Stephen first met at a London event after the passing of her first husband, Don Keating. They married in Kent in 1998, and she later revealed that Stephen proposed while they were on holiday in Barbados — after helping her when she struggled in a swimming pool, not knowing how to swim as a child.

Today, she honours his memory by focusing on family, faith, and gratitude — finding comfort not in replacing what was lost, but in remembering the love that endures. 

Source: Daily Mail