Richard E. Grant reveals he writes to his late wife Joan every day and “can’t imagine falling in love with anyone again” after trying to date.

Richard E. Grant has revealed that he “can’t imagine falling in love again” following the death of his beloved wife Joan Washington.

Joan died in 2021 at the age of 74, just eight months after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

Richard (66) said in a new interview that he writes to his late wife of 35 years every day because the thought of her not being there is too much to bear.

The actor, who is the new voice of The Wombles, added that although he had tried to date Joan so far, “No one else has even come close to Joan.”

Speaking about his grief, Richard told The Telegraph: “I’ve now accepted that I’ll never understand. “Trying to imagine that I’m not here is beyond my ability to think.

“So every night I write Joan a letter about what’s going on, and I feel like I’m having a physical, tangible, ongoing conversation with her that’s being written down. I found it very useful. Think about what she might think about it or what is her opinion about it? Even the most mundane things.”

Richard said he had been asked out on blind dates by his friends in the two years since Joan’s death, but he didn’t want to meet anyone.

“I think what’s special about her is that I felt like I was really seen and understood by another human being in a way that no one else had even come close to achieving,” he said.

Richard said the idea of ​​him finding love again was “so hard to imagine” that he couldn’t imagine something like that ever happening again.

The Saltburn actor added that he “definitely doesn’t do internet dating.”

Richard admitted that while Christmas was certainly a difficult time for the family, it was essential to maintain the traditions he and Joan had established.

The actor said he would get a tree every year and put up the decorations they have made every year since the birth of their second daughter Olivia (affectionately called Oilly).

Their first daughter, Tiffany, was born prematurely and died shortly after birth.

In a new interview, Richard said he wrote to his late wife every day for 35 years because the thought of her not being around was too much to bear.

Richard admitted that while Christmas was certainly a difficult time for the family, it was essential to maintain the traditions he and Joan had started.

Richard paid tribute to his late wife on their 37th wedding anniversary last month

The actor threw himself into his work and is the new voice of The Wombles’ Christmas collaboration (pictured with Johnny Vegas).

Since Joan’s death, he’s hung pictures of them on the tree, and while she’s gone, Richard and Olivia “feel her spirit” as they do the things they once did together as three and two.

Richard paid tribute to his late wife on their 37th wedding anniversary last month.

The actor shared a message on X, formerly Twitter, to remember Joan with a series of photos from over the years.

Alongside the montage, he wrote: “Today’s posthumous 37th wedding anniversary. “I am deeply grateful for the decades of association with the extraordinary love of my life, Joan Washington.”

The Wombles will be broadcast on Christmas Day at 6.15pm on BBC Radio 4 and can be found on BBC Sounds.