In the latest episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, actress and writer Nichola McAuliffe sits down with bereavement expert Jason Davidson.
This month, Jason is joined by actress and writer Nichola McAuliffe. She memorably played Sheila Sabatini in the ITV sitcom Surgical Spirit. Nichola has also performed in stage musicals and won an Olivier Award for best actress for her role in Kiss Me, Kate. In this episode, Nichola talks to Jason about the death of her much-loved husband, Don.
Talking about death
"We did not stop laughing. I threatened to have [Don] stuffed and have him as a hall stand, hang your coats on him. No, we had a very, very good time around death. I do believe that if you don't make a friend of death, you're really going to give yourself a hard time."
Mixing our ashes
"We're going to have an ash mixing party where we take his ashes, and my ashes, mix them together. [There's a] tiny island that we always went to every year. When he died, I took his ashes and took them around all the bars. Everybody bought him a drink! It was fabulous."
Listen now
Tap the link near the top of this page to listen to Nichola'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.
If you need support with bereavement or grief, call the Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309 or visit mariecurie.org.uk/support
