Strictly Come Dancing host left in tears after waking up to devastating news

Josh Widdicombe has opened up about the death of his beloved family cat, revealing that he was so upset he had to hide in a toilet at Exeter St Davids station and cry.

The comedian is preparing to join Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe as part of a new presenting team for Strictly Come Dancing, which returns to the BBC in September. But alongside the excitement surrounding his new role, Josh and his family have been dealing with the loss of their 11-year-old cat, Beryl.

Speaking on the Parenting Hell podcast, which he presents with fellow comedian Rob Beckett, Josh described the death as “genuinely upsetting” and admitted he was surprised by just how deeply it affected him.

Josh recalls heartbreaking loss

Josh explained that Beryl died overnight, leaving him and his wife, Rose Hanson, devastated.

“She just passed away overnight. It was incredibly upsetting for me and Rose (his wife Rose Hanson), I’ll be honest,” he said.

He added that his daughter was also very upset, although he joked that children can recover from the loss of a pet much more quickly.

Josh then described what happened when he had to travel to London shortly after Beryl’s death.

“I couldn’t believe how upset I was. I didn’t even care about cats when we got them,” he said.

While waiting for his train at Exeter St Davids, his emotions became overwhelming. He eventually went into a toilet cubicle and broke down in tears.

“I had to go into the toilet because I was crying. Just went into the toilet cubicle and sobbed,” Josh recalled.

Josh reflects on losing a pet

During the conversation, Josh and Rob also discussed why the death of a pet can feel different from losing a person.

Josh was careful to acknowledge that losing a human being is “obviously much worse”, but said the emotions surrounding a pet’s death can be more straightforward.

He explained that when a person dies, there can be questions about the relationship, whether enough time was spent together and the passing of time itself.

“There’s a lot more questions when a human dies about what was my relationship like with them, should I have seen them more?” he said.

With a cat, Josh said, the grief is more directly focused on the animal no longer being there.

“You don’t get that with a cat, it’s literally purely about feeling incredibly sad that the cat won’t be there anymore.”

Josh admitted he is still struggling with Beryl’s death and has found it difficult to adjust to life with the family’s other cats.

Beryl’s ashes remain at the family home

The presenter revealed that Beryl’s ashes have been placed in the same urn as her sister Eddie. The urn is kept on the mantelpiece at the family’s home in Devon.

Despite the passage of time, Josh said he has not yet come to terms with the loss.

“Genuinely, I’m still not really over it,” he said.

He also admitted that he has struggled to reconnect with the family’s other two cats since Beryl died.

“I know this sounds mad, but I’m struggling to connect with the other two cats. I feel resentful of them. I just wish it hadn’t happened.”

Josh joins Strictly’s new presenting team

Josh’s appointment as one of Strictly Come Dancing’s new hosts came as something of a surprise when he was selected to join Emma Willis and Johannes Radebe following the departures of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly.

The new series is due to launch in September, with celebrities including reality TV star Dani Dyer, former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and singer Delta Goodrem among those taking part.

For Josh, the upcoming Strictly role comes during a particularly emotional period as he continues to grieve the loss of Beryl.