It’s not the loss that gets to you ... it is the love
CHRIS Evans yesterday won praise from fans for his courage and eloquence after returning to present his Radio 2 breakfast show just 24 hours after his beloved mother died.
The 52-year-old DJ had been forced to pull out of his Thursday show at the last minute after learning his mother Minnie had died at the age of 92.
But yesterday, Evans gave the thumbs up to photographers as he arrived back at work, then praised his army of listeners telling them: “It’s not the loss that gets to you, it’s the love... So much love for a lady you’ve never met.
“We are back as mum would have insisted we should be.”
He added: “I sound a bit chipper today but I’m just so happy that my mum is at peace.”
He also revealed how his mum left her three children a letter.
He said: “When we thought we were all right and we’d get back to work today and it will be fine... my sister phones me and says, ‘You’ll never guess what I’ve just found’.
“She left us a letter. She left it with the birth certificate because she knew we’d have to get the birth certificate to register the death.”
Evans also praised carers who looked after his mother, saying: “She was only supposed to last a month or two... five months later, seven months in all, she was still there.” He said the family DJ Chris Evans was very close to his mother Minnie but told his listeners he was happy that she was now ‘at peace’ marked his mother’s loss with a drink, but not her favourite.
“Don’t tell my mum if you meet her one day in the future, we had a glass of prosecco instead of warm Cinzano and lemonade,” he said.
Fans took to social media to praise his bravery and eloquence.
Listener Joanne Osmond wrote: “Gosh, Chris Evans so brave 2 be back at work after passing of his dear old mum. Story about mum leaving letter with birth certificate got 2 us all – she’d love the tributes & proud of you.” Evans was very close to his mother, describing her as “hard as nails”.
He revealed that she once underwent eye surgery without any anaesthetic.
He also posted a photo on Twitter of Minnie when she was 91 – smiling as she tucked into a slice of pizza for the first time. He said she had told him: “It’s time.”
Minnie raised her children, Diane, David and Chris, in Warrington, Cheshire, while running a corner shop.
She later moved south to be close to Chris, who lives in Ascot, Berkshire.