William Mcinnes on family, life and love
Thehe Th TV sstar opens up about life, love and father hood since losing wife Sarah in 2011
Seachange and a Blue Heelers star William Mcinnes Mc always knew he wanted to b be a father. More than two decades ago, his dream came true when whe he welcomed a baby boy, Clem, into the world with his film director wife Sarah Watt. Wat A daughter, Stella, followed. “As “A soon as I held a baby I thought, ‘This ‘Th is what I’m about.’ It’s a wonderful moment, mo it’s the best thing you’ll ever do in your life,” he tells Woman’s Day. But B William – who has just released his latest book, Fatherhood, based on his stories about being a dad – never imagined im his experience of becoming a ap parent would be turned upside down when, h in 2011, he lost the love of his life to cancer.
HEARTACHE & LOSS
After the couple already suffered the tragedy of losing their first son Cosmo in childbirth, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, and in 2009 things took a turn for the worse when she was told she had secondary bone cancer. Clem was just 18 at the time and Stella only 13 when they lost their mum. “I’ve often wondered how my kids dealt with it. I’ve tried to speak to them about it, but I guess I’ll never really know. They are spectacular humans, and I’m so proud of them,” says William fondly. Raising two kids – Clem is now 24, while Stella is 20 – as a single dad has been no easy feat by any means. The TV star laughs as he tells us he leaves the “girl stuff” to Sarah’s sisters, Fiona and Maryjeanne. “We’ve become an incredibly close-knit family. I think the kids have worked out life can be awfully cruel, but it can also be lovely, and wonderful, and we were blessed to have had her in our lives”, adds William.
He also admits the pain of losing Sarah will be something he’ll live with forever. “In a sense, things get better but the pain never goes away. It can just rear up from nowhere and you just want to jump into a hole.
“It’s the possibilities, all the days you thought you’d have together, every milestone you celebrate, every little success or failure you have, you just think, ‘If only she was there.’ There’s nothing like that sense of loss.
‘Every milestone… you just think, “If only she was there”’
When you feel it, you really do feel what it’s like to be a human”.
While Sarah will always hold a place in his heart, William, 54, does admit he’s open to finding love again one day – but he’s certainly in no rush.
“I’m a pretty conservative guy and I move very slowly. There are lots of nice people out there, I’m sure,” he tells us.
“I can remember sitting on the back verandah with Sarah before she died and her saying, ‘I feel so sorry for you.’
“I was crying and said, ‘What are you talking about?!’ I know she wanted me to hopefully meet a nice woman who loves older kids – and can put up with me!
“But there’s no wrong or right. We all want to be with someone. It’s lovely to be loved and to hold someone close. I’m sure I will again one day.”