In the latest episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, bereavement expert Jason Davidson meets Anneka Rice.
Broadcaster Anneka is best known for her TV presenting work on Treasure Hunt and Challenge Anneka in the 1980s and 90s. She's been a regular on our screens ever since, with recent appearances on Strictly and Celeb Bake Off. Anneka is also an avid painter, having studied at the Royal College of Art. In this episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, Anneka sits down with Jason to talk about her experiences of grief and bereavement.
Grief leaves a void
"In my early 30s, my best friend died very suddenly and tragically. I never really moved on from that. There's an inherent sadness that I live with all the time. Grief leaves a terrible void. There's a quote from Winnie the Pooh that I hold very close to my heart, which is: 'Piglet was so excited at the idea of being useful that he forgot to be frightened anymore.' That's my way of moving through life."
Scattering ashes
"My parents' ashes are a bone of contention. Dad's on the mantelpiece and Mum's under the snooker table. I've been waiting to plant a tree – I'm going to make a remembrance garden, but we're in the process of moving. We have done a bit with Dad's ashes – we found a tor on Dartmoor called Laughter Tor, and thought 'this has got to be the place'."
"We tossed all these ashes into the air and there was this wild wind and they just clung to our anoraks and our hair. It was so funny. Dad would have found that amusing."
Listen now
Tap the link near the top of this page to listen to Anneka's chat with Jason. Alternatively, listen to or download it via Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you'd prefer, you can read a full transcript of the episode.
Be sure to like and subscribe so you know when we’ve uploaded a new episode – there are more conversations coming soon.
Content note: discussion of death and grief with reference to themes/topics that might be triggering or upsetting.
