Sir Tom Jones: Therapist helped me carry on after wife's death

Updated
The Voice UK Final Photocall - London
The Voice UK Final Photocall - London

Sir Tom Jones has revealed therapy and his family helped him cope with the loss of his wife of 59 years.

The Welsh singer, 76, was urged to visit a therapist by his son Mark after struggling to get out of bed following the death of childhood sweetheart Linda.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, he said: "Mark helped tremendously. He said, 'There is this lady you should see'. She counselled a lot of things.

"She said to me, 'You have got to carry on. If you don't, you will die'. I thought of my family, my son, my daughter and my grandchildren - all of that."

He added: "When my wife passed away, God bless her, I didn't know whether I would make it. There were days when I felt I couldn't get up. You don't want to get out of bed to start with."

Linda - full name Lady Melinda Rose Woodward - died of cancer in April last year.

Sir Tom, who is appearing in The Voice UK as a coach of Welsh duo Into The Ark, said the programme had helped his recovery.

He told the newspaper: "Time off would be death for me. The only time I'll take off is when I die. I don't take long periods of time off. I'm happier when I'm singing than not."

He said he was hopeful he would return for another series, adding: "We are talking about it now so it looks pretty positive. I'd hate to count my chickens before they've hatched but I'd like to do it. I like it and they know I do."

He was controversially replaced as a coach in 2015 when the show was on the BBC, but was recalled by bosses after its move to ITV.

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