Simon Thomas has spoken candidly about the profound shame he experienced after his son Ethan discovered his struggle with alcoholism, following the devastating loss of his wife Gemma to blood cancer.
The 53-year-old television personality and his son, now 15, were left heartbroken when Gemma passed away at the age of 40 in 2017, just three days after being diagnosed with adult acute myeloid leukemia.
Simon has previously been open about his battle with alcohol, revealing that he would consume a bottle of vodka daily to cope with his grief. During a recent appearance on Matt Willis' podcast "On The Mend," he recounted the lengths he went to in order to conceal his drinking and the pain he caused his son by exposing him to situations he wishes the youngster had never witnessed.
"He began to cotton on as the months went on," Simon said. "The reason why Daddy would never let him have a sip of his Diet Coke in the evenings wasn't because it had caffeine in it. Well, it was partly that, 'it's not great for your bedtime, Ethan,' but it's because Dad had something in there he shouldn't, and I've left him with all those memories. That's probably, in terms of my recovery from all of that period, almost been harder than letting go of the alcohol. It's been letting go of the shame."
In April 2023, Simon opened up about the traumatic experience of losing Gemma to cancer and revealed how God brought love back into his life with his new partner, Derrina. The couple are now parents to three-year-old daughter Talitha and two-year-old son Theo.
Gemma's death in 2017 at age 40 resulted in what Simon describes as a "life earthquake." Following her passing, he took time off to care for his then-eight-year-old son, effectively tearing up his contract with Sky. The presenter recounted the rapid progression of his wife's illness and the profound impact it had on his life, including his struggle with faith.
"We went from Monday night with her being diagnosed with a blood cancer of some sort. For a couple of days, things were looking OK, the treatment was going well, but then things just cartwheeled out of control," he said. "On the Friday she falls unconscious, and by 8:30 on Friday morning I'm being told by a consultant 'she's not going to see out the day.' The very foundations on which your life has been built are trembling, there's a massive life earthquake going on. And by 5:45pm on that Friday in November 2017 at the age of 40, with an 8-year-old son and a husband, she's gone."
"The first thing I did when I came out of that hospital was I just sank to my knees and shouted at God 'Why? Why, why, why? Why've you left my boy without a mum, I don't get it, I don't get you God!"
In 2024, Simon paid a heartfelt tribute to his then-pregnant partner Derrina after she helped him through the grief of losing Gemma. He praised her as a wonderful stepmother and said she loves his son Ethan "like her own." After admitting to heavy drinking amid his grief, he told The Sun: "Without a doubt, [Derrina] is the reason Ethan is on a level footing. She is a mother figure who came into his life, and it's an amazing sacrifice to love someone else's child." He added, "So, despite everything that's happened, Ethan is incredibly lucky and blessed, which is a weird thing to say."
If you are affected by any of the issues, seek the help of a professional or contact the AA helpline free on 0800 917 7650 to be put in touch with someone locally.
