Widowed host Simon Thomas said his new wife, Derrina Jebb, struggled with “guilt” ahead of the death anniversary of his first wife, Gemma.
The 49-year-old Sky Sports presenter from Norfolk lost his wife, Gemma, to blood cancer in November 2017, just four days after her diagnosis.
Simon found love with 31-year-old lawyer Derrina two years after his death, and the couple married in a ceremony at Norwich Cathedral last July.
When he appeared on Kate Ferdinand’s Blended podcast, he said he saw his first wife’s death anniversary as “a mark in time.”
But Derrina feels the family should do more to celebrate Ethan’s life for the sake of their 12-year-old sons, Gemma and Simon.
Simon found love with 31-year-old lawyer Derrina two years after his death, and the couple married in a ceremony at Norwich Cathedral last July.
Widowed host Simon Thomas said he struggled with “guilt” ahead of the death anniversary of his new partner Derrina Jebb’s first wife, Gemma. He was photographed with his late wife Gemma in 2015.
Simon says, “Sometimes, especially on anniversaries, I think you struggle a bit with guilt. I’m very comfortable with anniversaries because I don’t think too much about it.
“I think the first year you lost, those firsts are huge, and every first is a hurdle, but it gets easier with time.
‘I’m not someone who wants to do something special for an anniversary. For me they are just indicators of time. But from Ethan’s perspective, it’s a ‘Do you want to do something?’
Simon explained that while Derrina often celebrates her birthday, Ethan usually prefers a quiet day, perhaps sending a “little message bubble” instead of a big event.
“I think sometimes you feel like we have to do more because of the guilt you feel, maybe we’re not doing enough and I’m trying to comfort Derrina and tell her it’s okay.”
Derrina shared that she accepted her new husband’s grief and claimed that Gemma was more emotional than Simon and Ethan even though she had never met him in the past two years.
‘You feel real guilt and I definitely feel it, especially the last two [anniversaries] I’ve probably been more emotional than the two of you [Simon and Ethan]said.
“This is crazy because I didn’t know Gemma, but you acknowledge how everyone in the wider community feels.
“I think there’s some tenderness, but there’s also an empathy that thinks, ‘This is terrible. I definitely take on the pain and loss of other people, and it definitely moves me.
Simon says he sees his first wife’s death anniversaries simply as “a sign in time” – Derrina believes the family should do more to celebrate his life for Ethan, 12-year-old son from Gemma.
He was thrilled when he opened up the confrontation with Gemma and admitted that the “little voice in his head” often said that “Gemma could have done better”.
“You know very well how things are as a woman and no one has ever said, ‘This is what my mom used to do or this is how Gemma used to do’, no one has said.
“But that little thing on your shoulder in your head will say, ‘She could have done better, she could have had a really nice birthday or a really nice Christmas,’ and you’re very aware of that when you’re in this situation.”
Simon’s late wife, Gemma Thomas, died tragically in November 2017, a year after being sent home for bed rest after being seen three times with flu-like symptoms.
On the occasion of her previous birthday in May 2020, the TV personality thanked then-girlfriend Derrina for making her “happier than you dare to believe it could happen again”.
Simon lost his wife, Gemma, to leukemia in November 2017, just four days after diagnosis, and the two share their 12-year-old son, Ethan.
Two years after his death, Simon moved on with Father Derrina Jebb’s daughter and said he “came to life”.
Simon shared a black-and-white photo of Derrina, saying he was “madly in love” and said that Derrina’s own and son’s lives were “blessed”, with whom he started dating after dating her in 2018. she probably met through a church. group.
She shared the photo on her Instagram account and wrote: “A very happy birthday to this very, very special lady. I can’t tell you how much this lady has changed my life.
“She loved me when it was hard to love, stayed by my side when I was wrong, walked by my side when there were easier ways to go, and made me happier than I dared believe I could be again.”
He added: “Sometimes people don’t always see that. They say things like it’s okay for him to accompany or take care of the kids. But Derrina isn’t some kind of caretaker: she’s the woman I’m madly in love with.
“My and my son’s life has been extremely blessed by him and he deserves all the love in the world because he is all alone. Happy birthday @derrina xxxx (I know you don’t like handhelds.
Source: Daily Mail
