TINA Malone has told of the heart-breaking way she will remember her late husband Paul over the festive period – by playing his favourite songs and wearing matching pyjamas with their daughter.
The Shameless star was left devastated when her significant other, Paul Chase, tragically passed away suddenly in March, after he took his own life aged 42.
But grieving Tina and her family are planning to pay tribute to Paul over Christmas dinner by raising a toast to the former soldier, and sharing stories about his life.
The former Celebrity Big Brother star told Closer magazine: “We will raise a glass for him at Christmas lunch and talk about him around the table.
“We’ll play his favourite music and share our favourite stories.
“The loss and the sorrow of losing Paul is insurmountable, I will never, ever get over it.”
The pair share a daughter together, Flame, and Tina is trying to be “strong” for her child.
While she admitted a first Christmas without the love of her life will be tough, Tina and Flame are keeping his memory alive by buying him a pair of festive PJs to match theirs.
She added: ”But I have to be strong and resilient for Flame. All the “firsts” are difficult.
“Christmas will be hard, but I will make it magical and special for her.
“On Christmas Eve we’d always wear matching pyjamas, and this year me, my mum and Flame will do the same.
“Flame has asked me to buy Paul a pair too, which we will keep with us.”
Tina will have Christmas lunch with Flame, her mum, and Paul’s dad, Ste, and later in the day her late husband’s brother and sister, along with her children, will join them.
Flame turned 11 years old on December 15th, but when Tina asked her daughter what she wanted for her birthday, she simply said: “I don’t want any presents, I just want Daddy back,” leaving the former Brookside star heart-broken.
As well as buying her late husband matching Christmas pyjamas, Tina has helped to keep Paul’s memory alive on a day-to-day basis by leaving his gym bag in the hall, his aftershave next to their bed, and his toothbrush in the bathroom, and she even has “out loud” disputes with her late husband.
She added: “People might think I’m mad, but I speak to him out loud every night. Sometimes I’m arguing with him, the other day I was asking him where he’d put the screwdrivers and why he hadn’t told me where they are!
“I’m a Catholic and I believe he’s with us and I believe he’s in a better place, I truly do.”
Tina previously described it as the “worst day of her life” when Paul passed away, and she blamed his death on PTSD after he served in the army.
