Loose Women stars shares heartbreaking reason she will work 'until age 90'

At 84, Gloria Hunniford certainly deserves to put her feet up. Especially after she launched into the world of singing at the tender age of seven back in Ireland.

Gloria has seen an impressive career stretch over a remarkable 77 years without much respite at all. Presently gracing our television screens regularly as a panelist on Loose Women and co-hosting the consumer champion show Rip Off Britain on the BBC, she is still nothing short of a TV staple every week.

However, it isn't solely her zest for tackling injustices and battling fraudsters that fuels her relentless work ethic. In a candid interview, Gloria opened up about how work has become her refuge from enduring sorrow.

Committed to staying active, she believes staying engaged with her career is pivotal in managing her grief, reports the Mirror. The loss of her daughter Caron Keating to cancer 21 years ago still weighs heavy on her heart, and the recent passing of her husband Stephen Way at 85, after three decades by her side, only compounds her sadness.

"Work makes me feel safe, because I have a structure, I know what I'm supposed to be doing," Gloria confided. "All the emotional stuff and all the heartbreak, that's the hard bit to cope with. As long as you can take your [self] away from grief for an hour it helps clear your mind for a little while.

"I've worked since I was seven and for me doing things and keeping busy is good for my head. To do nothing would be miserable for me. My way of coping wouldn't be for everybody and I'm sure it's quite controversial, but I love work."

This approach has been particularly essential recently, as Gloria - who will celebrate her 85th birthday on April 10 - navigates a year filled with poignant firsts since losing her cherished 'Stevie', their first Christmas apart, her first birthday alone, the first anniversary.

The couple had been an item since the mid-1990s and tied the knot in 1998, following Gloria's divorce from the father of her three children, Don Keating.

Reflecting on some of the toughest periods of her life, Gloria shared: "Some of my worst times when Caron passed and also when Stevie passed were if I was at home on my own. And suddenly your mind wanders and you think 'what happened there, for goodness' sake?'"

It was the deep impact of loss that led Gloria to participate in Strictly Come Dancing in 2005, just a year after her daughter Caron's death at the tragically young age of 41. Although she received a meagre two points from the infamously strict Craig Revel Horwood for her Rumba performance, Gloria found joy in the experience.

She recalled telling herself: "When Caron died, I said 'I don't think I'll ever smile again'" something which profoundly affected one of her sons.

Urged by her children to join Strictly, they said: "One of my sons found that very sad, so when Strictly came up, they said 'Look, it'll be good for you.' And it was. It gave me something to laugh about, it was a challenge, the people were lovely and the glitter was lovely; it was helpful."

The TV personality opened up about the unbearable pain that follows the death of a child, stating: "One of the hardest aspects of grief is when you lose a child. You cannot carry a baby for nine months, love that child and not feel the incredible pain at losing that child. It's indescribable."

Gloria is embracing new challenges with gusto, gearing up to compete in Celebrity Bake Off this spring and collaborating with Stage Door on the reissue of her 1979 album 'A Taste of Hunni' on 21 February.

Yet, she's best recognised for her role as a panellist on ITV's Loose Women and as a passionate advocate on the BBC's Rip Off Britain, which she has co-hosted for 16 years alongside Julia Somerville and Louise Minchin.

She harbours aspirations of continuing with both shows well into her 90s. "It depends whether the producers would still want me when I was heading towards 90, but I've no plans to retire," Gloria asserted.

Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV1, from 12:30pm.