Vinnie Jones breaks down over losing wife Tanya to tragic cancer battle on Good Morning Britain

14 October 2019, 11:56 | Updated: 14 October 2019, 11:57

By Mared Parry

@maredparry

The actor opened up about suffering the traumatic loss of his wife of 25 years on the ITV morning show and was very emotional.

Vinnie Jones recently lost his wife Tanya to a horrific cancer battle earlier this year and brought the whole nation to tears today as he opened up about her dying wishes on Good Morning Britain.

Former football hardman Vinnie, 54, revealed that Tanya, 53, has wished for him and her daughter "not to grieve" as she will be waiting for them in heaven.

The pair were married for 25 years before Tanya passed away in July following a six-year cancer battle, and they share a son, Aaron together, as well as Tanya's daughter Kaley from a previous marriage.

Tanya wrote a letter to Kaley before she lost her life, and she read it aloud to Vinnie and the rest of the family.

Speaking to Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid on today's episode of ITV's GMB about her letter, Vinnie said: "She said don't grieve, I'll be waiting for you. So I've got something to look forward to."

When asked about how he was coping, the actor admitted: "Keeping busy, that's the first thing. You've got to get out there for other guys who are struggling. 

"It's made a difference, I didn't see that coming.

"The hardest part of it all for me even that day everybody's life goes on."

The emotional interview had viewers of the segement in floods of tears as he opened up about his and his family's whole journey.

He said: "The worst thing about it is we went in to the hospital one day and there's a window where people go to be told it's a week, day month a year.

"They took us into that bad news room. That's when you know."

Vinnie was then asked what the doctors said to him, to which he replied: "It was about a hospice. I said she ain't going to no hospice.

"Over the years I have slept in the room with her every night she was in overnight.

"Three intensive cares we had her in as well."

He continued: "She said: 'You'll look after me Vin, won't you? In the end I couldn't fulfill my promise.

"Christmas Eve was a tough one – they called her to say they'd found a couple spots on the brain – that was the first time we broke down together. 

"That was the worst we ever broke down together. 

"We had a lot of guests there, but she didn't want to ruin their Christmas."

Vinnie added that his wife would "never want to be special", refused to give press interviews and didn't want to ruin her family's festivities.

Comparing her behaviour to that of other footballers' wives Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy and their ongoing argument, he said: "She's the opposite to these girls now.

"I think it's quite funny. They're an embarrassment to their husbands, to their kids."

Back in 2013, Vinnie revealed both he and Tanya had melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, however, he was later given the all-clear.

Tanya had also been treated twice for cervical cancer and underwent a heart transplant at 21 following the birth of her daughter Kaley.

The pair met 25 years ago and married in Watford in 1994, renewing their vows in 2007.