Jill Halfpenny: The Holiday star opens up on grief after partner's devastating death

express.co.uk:

Strictly Come Dancing and Coronation Street, had been left horrified after her beau Matt Janes unexpectedly died following a heart attack at the age of just 43.When her own 42nd birthday came around six months later, Jill was still reeling from her tragic loss."Utterly bereft, floundering under the weight of his loss – I didn’t feel like celebrating," she told The Telegraph.Unable to face relatives and friends back home, she booked a solo flight for the first time in her life."I couldn’t bear the idea of going on holiday with someone who might constantly be asking if I was alright," she admitted."I needed to be away in my own company – doing what I wanted, when I wanted, with the sun on my face."She booked into the Ekies All Senses Resort in Halkidiki, Greece, relishing the prospect that she could transfer in just 30 seconds from her room to the luxury hotel's private beach.Referencing her love of swinging in a hammock, she told the same publication of her experience, saying: "I didn’t want hustle and bustle – just somewhere low-key and chilled."Praising the anonymity of the resort, she added thankfully: "No one knew me as 'that girl who’s on telly sometimes'.""It was about...nobody knowing who I was or what had happened.

People look at you differently when they know, [whereas] everything I did on this holiday was gentle, soothing and healing."Jill took along a small sprinkling of her partner's ashes to scatter in the ocean, as she recalled: "Matt was a real adventurer and would have loved to think he was in the middle of the Aegean Sea."Jill hired a bike by day, marvelling at the discovery of a crossbar branded "Matts", which brought back tender memories of her late boyfriend.By night, she sought solace in the written.