Loose Women star Charlene White has been left devastated after she shared the news her ‘brother’ Darrell has passed away after a four and a half year battle with Sarcoma cancer.
The TV presenter, 44, took to Instagram on Wednesday as she shared the news that one of her closest friends had died last Saturday surrounded by his wife and children.
Paying tribute to her best friend Charlene wrote ‘my heart is broken into a million pieces’ as she explained her and Darrell met when she was just 16 years-old and she was the best man at his wedding.
Sharing snaps of the pair together over the years she penned: ‘There will be many of you who will aware of me talking about one of my oldest and best friends Darrell @djoptic and his mission to beat the enemy which is Sarcoma cancer.
‘In the early hours of Saturday morning, four and a half years after he was diagnosed, after a week of saying goodbyes to those he loved, sharing stories and banter, he took his final breath surrounded by his wonderful wife @mrsamymcdonald and children Maya and Theo.
‘He has been my brother since we met at 16 years old, I was the best man at his wedding, and god-mother to his eldest. The nonsense our little crew would get up to was hilarious back in the day, he was there for every milestone.
Loose Women star Charlene White has been left devastated after the tragic death of her ‘brother’ Darrell who has passed away after a four and a half year battle with Sarcoma cancer
Paying tribute to her best friend Charlene wrote ‘my heart is broken into a million pieces’ (pictured as the best man at his wedding)
‘My heart is broken into a million pieces.’
Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that starts in soft tissue, such as muscle and fat.
Charlene continued: ‘He was by far one of the kindest men I’ve ever met, and throughout his treatment he made it his mission to shine a light on Sarcoma alongside @sarcoma_uk in the hope no other family had to go through what he and his family went through: raising awareness, raising money, educating doctors. He was quite simply, amazing.
‘His wife @mrsamymcdonald is honestly the best of all of us. I’ve watched her in awe over the past 4 years. I wish I could hug her pain away, because at this point life just feels very very unfair.’
Confirming she wouldn’t be taking any more time off from work she added: ‘I’m returning to work today, because I just don’t know what else to do tbh. Grief can sometimes just make you feel a little lost.
‘Message your besties and let them know how much they are loved xx’.
Supporting the star the fellow Loose Women hosts rushed to the comments to send their love to Charlene.
Judi Love penned: ‘Hun Im so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and his beautiful family during this difficult time’.
The TV presenter, 44, took to Instagram on Wednesday as she shared the news that one of her closest friends had died last Saturday surrounded by his wife and children
She penned: ‘He has been my brother since we met at 16 years old, I was the best man at his wedding, and god-mother to his eldest’
She added: ‘I’m returning to work today, because I just don’t know what else to do tbh. Grief can sometimes just make you feel a little lost’
Supporting the star the fellow Loose Women hosts rushed to the comments to send their love to Charlene
While Ruth Langsford wrote: ‘I’m so sorry Charlene. Grief is sadly the price we pay for loss. You know you will be held and supported by everyone @loosewomen. My condolences to Darrell’s family and sending you a massive hug’.
GK Barry also sent a series of red love hearts and Lizzie Cundy added: .Sending huge love darling.. very very sorry’.
Last March Charlene was overcome with emotion as she reflected on the loss of her mother during an episode of Loose Women.
The broadcaster lost her mum Dorrett when she was 20-years-old after she passed away aged 47 from bowel cancer.
Recalling her passing, the mother-of-two explained that her pregnancy with her son Alfie was particularly difficult as she faced motherhood without her own mother to support her.
She first explained that, upon finding out she was pregnant, Charlene ‘was fine’ but grief caught up with her unexpectedly.
‘I was fine about it, I took the test, I was completely fine with it. But there was a moment, when I started showing and I was in the bath’, she remembered, ‘I was looking at bump in my belly and it hit me that I was going to have to learn to be a mother when I was motherless.
‘The one person that I needed to guide through this really massive moment in my life wasn’t there. That’s the one moment where I completely lost it and I just cried and cried.
Last March Charlene was overcome with emotion as she reflected on the loss of her mother during an episode of Loose Women
Her mother Dorrett (right) was diagnosed at 42 years old and survived for four years with the diagnosis before dying when Charlene was just 20-years-old
‘I couldn’t stop because grief presents itself when you least expect it and when I gave birth to Alfie, it’s that realisation that your mum is the only person you’ll physically connect to.’
Charlene explained that while other women in her life tried to fill the void left by her mum, she was unable to accept their support and ‘pushed them away.’
‘No one knows me like my mum so if I needed help, my mum would just know’, she insisted. ‘I need to know how to do this by myself and as hard as that it is, I have no choice.’
Charlene finally was unable to hold back her tears any longer as she began to cry and admitted she felt jealous of those who have their children while their mother’s are still with them.
