BBC Radio 2 star Johnnie Walker's widow felt 'trapped' and admits 'hating' being his carer

Johnnie Walker'swidow, Tiggy, admitted she 'hated' being his carer following his idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis in 2019. The BBC Radio 2 star was forced to step down from the broadcaster after 58 years in October last year due to his ill-health, but tragically died two months later.

The radio DJ, known for Sounds Of The 70s and the Rock Show programmes, had his wife Tiggy by his side looking after him over the years. However, the widow - who was married to him for 23 years - recently admitted she 'felt trapped' by the difficult role placed upon her.

"People will say I’m a total b***h but the worst thing was not knowing how long it was going to go on for," she explained in a recent interview.

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"Johnnie had a terrible habit of taking my hand and telling me he only had three weeks left, but actually, he was like the Duracell bunny, indestructible, and I felt trapped."

She admitted not knowing when it was going to end meant she couldn't 'work towards that' and was 'always in a state of high alert'.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, she added: "I was always in a state of high alert, not knowing how bad it was going to get and how it would finish, because he was so frightened of dying fighting for breath. The nerves were exhausting.”

Tiggy said their first five years together were 'b****y awful', but the two grew closer over the years.

Johnnie had worked for the BBC since 1969. His first health issue came in 2003 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the colon. He also suffered a heart attack in 2019 and had to undergo a triple heart bypass.

A year later, he was diagnosed with IPF - a condition where inflation of the lungs means breathing becomes difficult. Tiggy provided round-the-clock care for him and opened up about how the diagnosis had impacted them earlier last year.

Speaking during Carers Week, Tiggy heartbreakingly admitted: "I’m so tired. Sometimes I find it hard to go on."

The couple had been forced to sleep in separate rooms due to his health needs and the fact he had to sleep with an oxygen mask.

His wife,Tiggy, paid tribute following the news of Johnnie's deathas she said: "I couldn’t be more proud of Johnnie - how he kept broadcasting almost to the end and with what dignity and grace he coped with his debilitating lung disease.

"He remained his charming, humorous self to the end, what a strong amazing man. It has been a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. And if I may say - what a day to go. He’ll be celebrating New Year’s Eve with a stash of great musicians in heaven. One year on from his last live show. God bless that extraordinary husband of mine who is now in a place of peace.”

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