Ruth Langsford broke down in tears during today’s Loose Women after speaking about her dad’s battle with dementia.
Ruth was joined by Coleen Nolan, Janet Street Porter and Nadia Sawalha as they watched Engelbert Humperdinck open up about his wife’s battle with Alzheimer’s during a separate show on Thursday last week.
And now the star has thanked her devoted fans for their support in a video on Instagram following the show.
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She captioned the clip: “Love remembering my Dad but sometimes it just gets me. Thank you for all your lovely messages…much appreciated x x. @loosewomen @alzheimerssoc @theprettydress @nextofficial.”
In the clip the presenter said: “Thank you all so much for your lovely messages of support. I had a little moment there on Loose Women talking about my dad.
“It’s so strange because often I can talk about my dad all day long and then occasionally I have that moment where I get that uncontrollably emotion.
“Hearing Engelbert talk about his wife and how much he misses her made me think about my mum.
“I think I was crying more about my mum really. But you have sent some lovely messages and I know a lot of you are going through something similar with your loved ones. Sending you all lots of love back.”
During today’s Loose Women Ruth told her fellow panellists: “We do send our best to Engelbert.
“You know that takes me right back to my mum and dad’s situation.
“For me I was grieving and losing my dad but my mum was losing the love of her life, that young man she married and built a life with.”
She added: “When my dad eventually had to go into care my mum was so distraught – oh I’m sorry.”
Ruth then broke down in tears as she struggled to carry on her sentence.
The rest of the panel gave support to their co-star and Coleen spoke about her mum’s experience with the “cruel” disease.
As Ruth managed to compose herself she added: “You do hope. You kind of know they probably won’t [recover].
“I do think that’s why we do so much for Alzheimer’s Society because I do believe they will find a cure eventually or certainly be able to slow it down. The research is so important.
“But I’m sorry. Sometimes I can talk about my dad and other times I can’t.”
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Viewers rushed to show their support for the tearful star.
One said: “Keep smiling Ruth, we all love you!”
“Nothing wrong with showing emotions and heart break. No one can be strong all the time,” another added.
A third tweeted: “Oh @RuthieeL so lovely that you can show your feelings, such a hard illness to talk about. Sending love xx.”
Keep smiling Ruth, we all love you! 😘😘💕
— rhian ✦. 2011-always ❤️ (@rhi_littlemix) June 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/KimAEllis/status/879706719886213120
Oh @RuthieeL so lovely that you can show your feelings, such a hard illness to talk about. Sending love xx
— bee (@dldonnelly) June 27, 2017
A fourth kindly said: “Ah it was very sweet and a natural reaction to someone you love, you’re so natural and compassionate makes you a charming young lady xx.”
Ah it was very sweet and a natural reaction to someone you love ❤️ your so natural and compassionate makes you a charming young lady xx
— gary (@brian23070) June 27, 2017