Annabel Croft opened up about her own mortality as she battled with grief over the loss of her beloved husband. The former tennis player’s husband Mel Coleman died in May 2023 at the age of 60 after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. The Strictly Come Dancing star, 59, competed on the BBC show in the same year she suffered the heartbreaking loss. She has since opened up about her ongoing grief two years on. The BBC pundit chatted with Dan Walker on Channel 5 News on Monday as they talked grief and navigating through the loss of a loved one.

Dan questioned Annabel on whether the loss of her husband and the grief comes in waves. The former tennis star admitted there are times she can see and feel his presence. She replied: “Yes. I call it rain showers. They come and go. They’re less than they were at the beginning. Sometimes… I can be anywhere. Just like in the last couple of days, I can be driving along and an image will come through of my husband, his voice, and his strong presence and there is like a jolt.”

Strictly’s Annabel Croft appeared on 5News (Image: 5NEWS)

She mused: “There is like a weird physical reaction to it. And it’s like ‘wow’ you’re not here.”

The Strictly star shared the loss of her husband had her think about her own mortality as she said “you don’t know what’s around the corner” in a heartbreaking admission.

Annabel continued: “You just can’t believe it. I try to stay as positive as possible. Then you think, ‘gosh how long have I got left?’

You don’t know what’s coming round the corner. But you try to make the most of everyday, don’t you?”

Annabel Croft pictured with her late husband Mel Coleman (Image: Getty)

Annabel opened up about an early symptom her late husband displayed before being diagnosed with cancer.

She initially thought “it must be indigestion or something like a cyst or whatever”, adding on Gaby Logan’s The Mid Point podcast: “It never dawned on me that it could be something so absolutely catastrophic.”

After Coleman underwent scans, he was told by doctors he had cancer.

“It started with colon cancer, but it could have been across everywhere at the same time,” she explained. “But it spread into the liver, it was spread into the kidneys, even possibly into the brain as well.”

However, Annabel confirmed that “what he actually died of was sepsis and there was a perforation from one of the tumours”, which occurred after a “flight to Portugal”.

The beloved former tennis pro turned experienced broadcaster is hitting the road for an exclusive 28-date tour across England, Scotland, and Wales starting September 25, 2025.

She said: “I am excited to go on this tour to share my experiences from the world of Tennis Broadcasting and Dancing on ‘Strictly’ – from tennis balls to glitter balls!”