In the latest episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, bereavement expert Jason Davidson meets Malin Andersson.
Malin Andersson is a make-up artist and reality star, best known for appearing on the second series of ITV2's Love Island. Since leaving the Love Island villa in 2016, Malin's been vocal about causes that have touched her life, including body positivity, domestic abuse and paid leave for bereaved parents. In this episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, Malin sits down with Jason to talk about the experience of losing her mum and baby daughter within a year.
The circle of life
"In my mum's final days, I was caring for her. I was bathing her, cleaning her and they become so fragile and vulnerable. It's almost like, at the end of their lives, they become what they were at the beginning of their lives. It's the circle of life. I understand death a lot more than my friends would because they haven't experienced certain things that I've seen."
Dealing with grief
"I named [my daughter] after my mum, which was ironic. I had her alive for a month, so it was different to grieving over my mum. I had a lifetime with Mum. With grief, a lot of people try to numb the pain, they try to push it to one side but, ultimately, it'll always spiral back and come back onto you. You need to deal with it there and then."
Listen now
Tap the link near the top of this page to listen to Malin's chat with Jason. Alternatively, listen to or download it via Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
If you'd prefer, you can read a full transcript of the episode. Be sure to like and subscribe so you know when we've uploaded a new episode – there are more conversations coming soon.
Content note: discussion of death and grief with reference to themes/topics that might be triggering or upsetting.
