In the latest episode of On the Marie Curie Couch, Rosie Moss sits down with Jason Davidson.
Rosie Moss is the host of the award-winning podcast Widowed AF, which she started after her husband died in 2018. What began as a raw, honest conversation about grief has grown into a global show and a thriving community. Rosie also runs Soul Sisters Retreats, where widows come together for support, truth and the kind of solidarity you only find in the depths of loss. Her first book, Widowed AF, will be published in March 2026.
In this conversation, Rosie talks about the death of her husband, Ben, and its many repercussions: talking to children honestly about death, honest reflections on reliance on alcohol, connections with others who have lost people, and the hassle of doing sadmin.
"Alcohol halted my grief"
In the early days, the drink gave me what I needed. It was the only coping strategy I knew... I think because I was still managing to get the children to school there was still that middle class veneer, the ‘Mummy wine time’. It definitely, definitely halted my grief. When I got sober, nearly four years ago, I realised I hadn’t properly grieved. So what happened is, nearly four years into my grief, I went back to the beginning.
Telling children their dad's died
I said, ‘Your daddy has died.’ And that was it: your daddy has died. Those four words... I lay upstairs like, ‘I’ve just shattered their worlds’. And I came down and they had their Harry Potter clothes on and their wands and they were playing. They were playing like children. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, there’s something wrong with my children. They’re broken. Their dad has died and they don’t care.' [...] I realised that that is how they process grief. It’s too enormous to sit with them all the time.
Listen now
Listen to Jason's chat with Rosie on the player at the top of the page. You can also listen or download the conversation via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also watch a subtitled version of the conversation on YouTube.
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If you need support with bereavement or grief, call the Marie Curie Support Line on 0800 090 2309 or visit mariecurie.org.uk/information
