What did you miss?
Shane MacGowan’s widow Victoria Mary Clarke has admitted she had feared the Irish singer’s death for 35 years.
The Pogues frontman died aged 65 on Thursday, 30th November after spending some time in hospital.
The Fairytale of New York singer was known to be a heavy drinker and had battled drug abuse and his wife admitted that he “pushed the boundaries so much of what humans can do to their bodies.”
What, how, and why?
Clarke appeared on Good Morning Britain less than a week after losing MacGowan to discuss her experience of grief.
The 57-year-old Irish journalist said: “The biggest fear you probably have is that you’re going to lose a loved one. It’s going to happen, you can’t get around that. You’re all going to lose a loved one.
“I know that for me, I spent many, many years, probably 35 years, worrying about losing Shane because he was so… Ooh what’s the word, he just pushed the boundaries so much of what humans can do to their bodies.
“So I dreaded that and I thought I would fall asleep, I thought I would die [when he died]. I thought I would be comatose or on drugs myself or something like that.”
She went on: “So I just want you all to know that it’s not as bad as you think it would be.
“And there’s a huge amount of love that comes your way when you lose someone. And in my case I’ve been overwhelmed by how much love there is.”
MacGowan married journalist Clarke in 2018 having been in a relationship for more than 35 years including an 11-year engagement.
They tied the knot at City Hall in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, with Hollywood actor Johnny Depp attending the ceremony and singing at their wedding. The couple lived together in Dublin in the years before the singer’s death.
MacGowan was famous for his heavy drinking and had a reputation for performing while intoxicated. He also had a history of drug abuse. These contributed to his poor health and he lost the last of his own teeth around 2008.
In 2016 Clarke reported he was sober “for the first time in years”, citing a serious bout of pneumonia and a long stay in hospital as the main contributing factor.
He had used a wheelchair since he broke his pelvis in 2015.
In 2021 he fell and broke a knee, as well as tearing ligaments in his knee joint. In April 2022 he confirmed he can no longer walk.
Just before Christmas 2022 it was revealed he had suffered rare brain condition encephalitis which can cause loss of movement and speech problems.
When is Shane MacGowan’s funeral?
Shane MacGowan’s funeral is open to the public and will take place on Friday, 8th December 2023.
The funeral Mass will be given at St Mary of the Rosary Catholic Church in Nenagh, county Tipperary, Ireland.
MacGowan is survived by his father Maurice and his sister Siobhan who both live nearby.
The singer regularly returned to his home county and often visited Philly Ryan’s pub in Nenagh.
MacGowan died complications from pneumonia.
Good Morning Britain airs on ITV from 6am to 9am from Monday to Friday.
Read more: Shane MacGowan
Watch: Shane MacGowan’s public funeral to be held in Tipperary
