Deidre Sanders was comforted by Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley during a phone-in segment on Tuesday’s This Morning as she opened up on the death of her husband Rick

Deidre Sanders, a star of This Morning, was visibly moved during a touching phone-in as she discussed the loss of her husband.

During Tuesday’s (March 18) episode, the beloved agony aunt joined hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard on the blue sofa to chat with ITV viewers battling loneliness.

Among them was Allan, a 62 year old from Dorset, who has been finding life tough since his husband Keith passed away on Christmas Eve in 2023. “Since then it’s been just very lonely,” he confessed.

“I’ve got friends and family in Scotland, but it’s not the same, they’ve got their own lives so I can’t have them there.”

Allan reminisced about the “always laughter” that filled their home when Keith was alive, and how he’s found it “hard” adjusting to solitude.

A choked-up Deidre responded, “I obviously completely empathise with that because I’ve been through the same thing myself. I really do sympathise, Allan.

“I do know how hard it is when you’ve lost a partner, particularly one that made you laugh a lot. Mine did too.”

Deidre then opened up about her own experiences of loneliness following the sudden death of her husband, Rick, who died in December 2022.

She advised Allan to seek counselling for his grief and recommended an organisation that supports people who have been widowed at a young age, reports Wales Online.

“Look around your area, and think about interests you’d have and what you’d connect with. I’d always say volunteering because it’s a really good thing to do, and it refocuses your thinking,” Deidre advised.

Ben then added his thoughts: “I think one of the things as well, Deidre you can probably speak to this much better me, but reaching out and telling people that you’re feeling a bit lonely is a really important step.

“It is, I think often friends, especially if you’ve been widowed, they feel awkward and don’t know what to say. I think it’s really important to ring somebody up and say, ‘I could do with a chat,'” Deidre responded, before wiping away a tear as Cat introduced the next caller.

Deidre had previously shared that her husband Rick had passed away just days after she found out about her MBE for services to charity and mental health.

She expressed that it was “really special” for her to share the news with him before his death, adding: “It was lovely that we could share that.”

This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10am