Gloria Hunniford’s husband Stephen Way dies aged 85 as Loose Women star pays tribute to ‘a gentleman who will leave the most enormous void in our entire family’

Gloria Hunniford has introduced the dying of her husband of greater than 20 years, Stephen Method, on the age of 85.

The 84-year-old veteran broadcaster wed the businessman in 1998, and he or she mentioned he would go away ‘essentially the most monumental void, not solely in my life, however our complete household’.

In an announcement at this time, his household mentioned: ‘It’s with enormous unhappiness and really heavy hearts that we share the passing of Stephen Method, Gloria’s beloved husband, who misplaced his battle yesterday afternoon.

‘Stephen had been heroically combating his sickness… however all the time with nice tenacity and a constructive spirit.’

Hunniford mentioned: ‘Stephen was a gentleman and a large of a person, who will go away essentially the most monumental void not solely in my life, however our complete household.

Gloria Hunniford and Stephen Method at We Will Rock You on the London Coliseum on June 7, 2023

Gloria Hunniford and Stephen Method on the Lady of the Future Awards on the Marriott Lodge Grosvenor Sq. in London on November 8, 2007

A household photograph of Gloria Hunniford and Stephen Method of their again backyard in Kent final summer season

‘He was an extremely sort, beneficiant, and caring man, with a delightfully quirky sense of humour, which remained until the tip. 

‘We had a tremendously blissful 25-year marriage and did so many lovely and thrilling issues collectively that I’ll all the time cherish.’

Mr Method was described as a ‘fantastic husband, father and grandfather’ and Hunniford added: ‘It is a fantastic shock and phrases can not categorical my unhappiness presently.

‘A vibrant shining gentle has dimmed, and he shall be missed at each flip.’

Northern Irish broadcaster Eamonn Holmes, who bought his break when he bought Hunniford’s job at Good Night Ulster, additionally paid tribute.

He wrote on Instagram: ‘I really feel the ache of Gloria my pricey good friend of 40 plus years on the lack of Stephen – a real gent and a scholar. My real heartfelt condolences.’

It was Mr Method who broke the information of the dying of Hunniford’s former husband Don Keating as she got here off stage after internet hosting a TV chat present in 1997, she revealed that 12 months.

Mr Keating was discovered useless by a good friend at his kitchen desk, along with his dinner and a glass of wine in entrance of him.

(From left) Stephen Method, Gloria Hunniford, Christopher Biggins and Neil Sinclair attend the World Premiere Charity Gala of One other Mom’s Son, on the Odeon Leicester Sq. in London on March 16, 2017

Gloria Hunniford seems on ITV’s Unfastened Girls within the London studio on August 5, 2024

A household {photograph} of Stephen Method on his 84th birthday final summer season

When Hunniford and Mr Method began courting, he owned an hairdressing salon in New Bond Avenue, Mayfair.

Hunniford and Mr Method met at an occasion in London earlier than getting married in Kent in 1998, one 12 months after Mr Keating’s dying.

She beforehand revealed that Mr Method proposed whereas they have been on vacation in Barbados after she was struggling in a pool at their villa having by no means learnt to swim as a baby.

Hunniford advised the Belfast Telegraph in 2017: ‘I keep in mind larking about once I was six or seven and falling into the water absolutely clothed and developing for the third time and considering I used to be going to die.

‘Then, when Stephen and I have been in Barbados, we had a pool to ourselves and it was extremely popular, and Stephen was bantering me to get in.

‘I managed a number of strokes then went plop, straight down. Stephen mentioned no-one had ever clung to him so tightly. It was the primary time he noticed me wanting weak, so he proposed.’

Stephen Method and Gloria Hunniford attend The King and I press night time on the Dominion Theatre in London on January 31, 2024

An undated household {photograph} of Gloria Hunniford and Stephen Method on vacation in France

Gloria Hunniford and Stephen Method arriving at Sir John Mills ninetieth party at London’s Dorchester Lodge on February 22, 1998

In Might final 12 months, Mr Method revealed he had been left partially blind after dropping the sight in his proper eye when he suffered a second stroke.

He mentioned on the time that he ‘wakened within the morning and there was blood within the eye and that was it’, including that he was ‘coping OK with all of it – it is tremendous however simply disorientating’.

Hunniford’s daughter Caron Keating, additionally a TV presenter, died after a battle with breast most cancers in 2004, and he or she arrange a basis in her reminiscence.

The Caron Keating Basis fundraises for most cancers charities, in addition to elevating consciousness.

In March, Hunniford revealed her grandson Charlie, 29, was getting married in the identical church as Caron. 

In 2017, Hunniford grew to become an OBE within the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her contribution to most cancers charities by means of breast screening providers and most cancers assist.

Gloria Hunniford and Stephen Method, pictured for the Mail On Sunday on September 9, 1999

Hunniford’s daughter Caron Keating, additionally a TV presenter, died after a battle with breast most cancers in 2004, and he or she arrange a basis in her reminiscence. They’re pictured on June 15, 1993

Gloria Hunniford with ex-husband Don Keating who died in 1997. She married Mr Method in 1998

She began her profession in tv in her native Northern Eire earlier than going to London to work on the sport present We Love TV, and internet hosting a Radio 2 programme for greater than a decade.

Hunniford has been a steady presence in residing rooms across the nation together with on Unfastened Girls, This Morning, Rip Off Britain, The Travelling Image Present, Residence Away From Residence and Meals: Reality Or Scare.

The Portadown native appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005, the place she was partnered with Darren Bennett, and had a stint on The Masked Singer in 2022.

Final month, Hunniford led tributes to BBC radio star John Bennett after his dying aged 82, saying her former colleague was as a ‘big in broadcasting’.

Bennett co-launched BBC Radio Ulster with Hunniford on New 12 months’s Eve in 1974, and later grew to become best-known as ‘The President’ of the weekend music programme The Sunday Membership, which he offered for greater than 44 years.