My heart’s truly broken says grieving husband of Emmerdale star Leah
THE husband of Leah Bracknell yesterday paid tribute to his “soulmate”, admitting the Emmerdale star’s death had left his heart “truly broken”.
Jez Hughes lost his 55-year-old wife, who played lesbian vet Zoe Tate in the long-running soap, to cancer last week.
He has now taken to social media to pay tribute to the actress who was known to her family as Ali.
Jez said: “My darling wife, best friend and soulmate flies free in spirit. Ali is the bravest person I’ve ever met and she faced the last three years of cancer with dignity, grace and light.
“She shone bright in this world with fire in her heart and water in her soul. The great mystery of existence always visible through her beautiful eyes.”
Leah was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in September 2016.
Fans helped raise more than £65,000 for her to undergo pioneering treatment in Germany and she discovered she could have specialist treatment because of her Chinese heritage.
In 2017 she married Jez, her partner of 13 years. She also leaves grown-up daughters Lily and Maya from a previous relationship.
He added: “She inspired and changed the lives of so many, loved ones and strangers alike. Every day I learn of more people who she helped which brings the warmth of pride and gratitude to have known her into my heart. My heart is truly broken... My only prayer is that through the burning down of everything that I hold sacred and precious... something else will arise and I am able to embody just a little of Ali’s grace, bravery, tenacity, and lightness to serve her legacy well in the world.”
Her former show dedicated two episodes to “unforgettable” Leah last Thursday after her death was announced the previous day.
Viewers flooded Twitter with praise, while fans urged next year’s TV awards to honour her memory.
Leah was in Emmerdale from 1989 to 2005 and was one of the first mainstream gay characters on British TV.
She also appeared in A Touch Of Frost and DCI Banks, worked as a yoga teacher and had her own jewellery line.
She shared her experiences via a blog and in the months before her death wrote “The Cancer Rebel’s Manifesto For Life” which she said was to “reject the notion of being a victim”.
In it she said: “I rebel against the fear of cancer, against pity from others and myself, against being defined by cancer, and against being bullied by cancer.”