In the latest episode of our podcast, On the Marie Curie Couch, bereavement expert Jason Davidson meets Janet Ellis.
Broadcaster, actress and novelist Janet Ellis is best known as a presenter of popular children’s TV programme Blue Peter during the 1980s. Janet lives in London with her husband John and their dog, Angela. John is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. In this episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, Janet opens up about John’s diagnosis, as well as the experience of losing both her parents and her attitude to talking about death.
Different types of grief
“Grief, I think, is like a cheese grater,” says Janet. “It’s got lots of different sides and sometimes it’s the big sort, which is obvious to everybody, because it slices them too. Other times it’s small and a cut and brief… It’s not often the predictable things.”
Dealing with a diagnosis
“When John was diagnosed, everybody had to deal with that in their own way,” says Janet. “My main thing was for [my family] to realise that it did not change us."
Listen now
Tap the link near the top of this page to listen to Janet’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.
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Content note: discussion of death and grief with reference to themes/topics that might be triggering or upsetting.