PODCAST: On the Marie Curie Couch with Fleur East

This month, Jason is joined by singer and radio presenter Fleur East. Fleur rose to fame in 2014 when she wowed the judges with her performances on The X Factor, finishing in second place. She currently hosts the Breakfast Show on Hits Radio and was runner up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022. In this episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, Fleur talks about coming to terms with the sudden death of her dad, Malcolm, in March 2020.

"It's taken me and my sister quite a while to accept that he's not here anymore. It's one of those things that you hear from a lot of people that have lost parents, or anyone close to them, that you never really think it's going to be you. You foolishly think, 'Oh, that's really sad that that happened to that person.' You don't even comprehend that that's ever going to happen to you. Until it does."

"I just did Strictly Come Dancing and my dance partner Vito was with me every day, training all the time. I spoke about my dad a lot and after the show finished he said, 'I feel like I know your father because you've spoken about him all the time. I feel like I know Malcolm. I feel like I've met him.'"

"That made me really happy. It feels like you're doing a good service to that person, to keep their memory alive and to keep them in your life even after they've gone."

Tap the link near the top of this page to listen to Fleur'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.

If you need support with bereavement or grief, call the Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309 or visit mariecurie.org.uk/information.