‘Fantastic’ son helping to keep dad going after Rachael’s death

THE HEARTBREAKING words of Rachael Bland’s three-year-old son Freddie after her death have been revealed.

In his first interview since the BBC newsreader’s death in September, her husband Steve told how it was his son who reassured him on one occasion when he got upset about losing his temper.

“I shouted at him because he was being a right pain, (I was) trying to get him dressed. I started crying because it really upset me that I’d shouted at him,” he said.

“And he just turned to me and he said, ‘Daddy, are you crying because of Mummy?’ and I said ‘Yes.’ And he said, ‘Daddy, don’t worry, it’s just us two now. It’ll be OK.’”

In the months before her death, Rachael, who was originally from Creigiau in Cardiff, had been telling the story of her battle with cancer in a frank and humorous podcast You, Me and the Big C.

Steve has been talking to her copresenters Lauren Mahon and Deborah James about how “tough” the final days were and how their “fantastic” son is keeping everyone going.

Speaking on the podcast about the days after her death, he said: “It was very hard because my Rachael wasn’t the Rachael who did the podcast, wasn’t the Rachael on the TV, wasn’t the Rachael on the radio.

“My Rachael was the one who sat next to me on the sofa watching crappy TV. You know, who shouted to get a glass of wine or whatever.”

Speaking about their son, he said: “Freddie is a bit young really to understand even on a very base level what’s happened.

“He’s just full of energy, full of joy, full of life, keeping us busy – he’s fantastic.

“You can’t look at him without seeing Rachael either, so it’s a little bit of her all the time just next to me.”

Asked how he is coping since his wife died, he said: “I’m OK. Good days and bad days, as you can imagine. Plenty of challenges. You don’t really know how you’re going to be when something like this happens.”

Steve said at the time of Rachael’s death: “We all take such huge comfort and pride from the amazing and tireless work she has done since her diagnosis to reduce the stigma around cancer and prove that it is possible to live life to the fullest even when facing huge challenges on a daily basis.

“At the end, even though her body was at its weakest, her voice was at its strongest and most powerful.”