Annabel Croft's haunting memory of husband's final hours sparked by cruel nurse

18 November 2023 , 18:15

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Annabel Croft's haunting memory of husband's final hours sparked by cruel nurse

Annabel Croft has opened up about her husband's dying moments and how it haunts her at night.

The Strictly Come Dancing star devastatingly lost her beloved partner of 36 years, Mel Coleman, to cancer earlier this year, just months after he began complaining of stomach pains. The former tennis ace, who is paired with professional dance partner Johannes Radebe, had been on holiday with her other half in Portugal when Mel was rushed to hospital, where he passed away. In a recent candid interview, the 57-year-old athlete recalled her husband's final hours and revealed one 'cruel' nurse's words that have stayed with her.

Annabel has been lost without her husband's support on Strictly (BBC/Ray Burmiston)

She recalls the haunting moment a 'cruel' nurse stole Mel's final moments (Getty Images)

Annabel said the medical professional "seemed to take pleasure in telling Mel he was dying". She remembers being gathered in hospital beside Mel, with their three children, Amber, Lily and Charlie, and their partners, when the nurse began talking about death. Ignoring Annabel's request to speak about it privately, and away from her husband, the nurse responded: "No, he is the patient. He has to hear that he is dying".

The Strictly star said she began discussing palliative care when the couple's son Charlie asked the nurse if Mel had 'months or weeks' to live, to which the nurse said: "'Huh!' Almost laughing, mocking our son. 'No - hours.' Mel heard that, all of it. It was just awful." Annabel said the nurse also told the family that if Mel was to have a heart attack, they would not be resuscitating him. In that moment, Mel 'perked up' and said: "I don't like the sound of that."

"This nurse said: 'Listen to me. He's got cancer. We are not resuscitating him.' Like she was enjoying it. I'm haunted by that. So many nights it has kept me awake, remembering the tone of her voice. It was cruel," Annabel explained. She said in that moment 'something shifted' and Mel began to say goodbye as both he and the family "realised not only that he was dying, but that he knew he was dying".

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She added that she didn't really get a chance to say goodbye to her beloved husband as "it happened so quickly". "And then we... watched him die. He took his last breath," she said. Annabel also opened up about the heartbreak of losing Mel and shared that there have been some tough moments to deal with, describing the grief as coming in 'waves'.

The former tennis star said that from the moment he received his diagnosis, she was meant to be her husband's rock, but instead, he had to comfort her after they received the difficult news. She said that despite Mel being the one who had been "told he was going to die" it was him comforting her as Annabel found it difficult to process what she had just been told.

She admits that she hasn't been able to collect her husband's ashes from the crematorium because she is still adjusting to life as a widow, and while that may be comforting to some people, she admits that her grief has meant that Mel's passing has not yet taken hold.

Amy Denman