‘It was the only way to get through it’: Sophie Raworth reflects on coping with grief and her mother’s challenging diagnosis

Sophie Raworth has had a difficult few years, dealing with the death of her father, and also of her dear friend George Alagiah.

Around the time her dad's health deteriorated, the presenter's mother was diagnosed with bowel cancer and normal pressure hydrocephalus.

Sophie spoke very candidly about grief, loss and watching her mother become so unwell, during a recent interview with Saga magazine.

The presenter had worked with George Alagiah when they hosted the BBC's Six O' Clock News together, and she named her daughter Georgia after him. He died from bowel cancer in 2023 at the age of 67.

"George had so much chemotherapy," Sophie explains, adding, "the side effects were awful, but he never complained."

She later had to announce his death on the news, and "dug my nails into my palms really hard" while delivering information, because "it was the only way to get through it without breaking down."

Her father Richard passed away last year aged 67, after suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Days later she was fronting the BBC's coverage of the VE Day celebrations, and unsurprisingly felt "in a complete daze."

"It didn't seem real," she shares, but does say having a job to do helped, offering something "to focus on."

Under even more devastating circumstances, at the time George died and her father's condition began to deteriorate, the presenter's mother, Jenny received her devastating diagnosis.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus is a rare brain disorder, with Sophie explaining, "Your spinal fluid doesn't drain, and presses on your brain."

Sadly, the condition also affect movement, and Sophie shares, "Mum can't move. She's in a wheelchair which is really hard because she was always so active."

Jenny now has live-in carers, and Sophie visits "at least once a week."

The presenter, also famous for her love of running and keeping fit, reveals she copes with difficult feelings brought about by grief and loss by just going out "to run and run."

"Running is so simple," she explains, adding, "one foot in front of the other, but it gives you such a sense of progression and purpose."

She continues, "My mind clears, you zone out, even though you're physically working hard. It's such a peaceful place to be."

The 58-year-old didn't actually start running until she was 38. She previously told us at woman&home more about the mental benefits of running.

"A lot of the time I run on alone. It is an escape," she says, continuing, "I’ve got a busy job with people talking in my ear while I am on air. When I’m running, it’s quiet, and I really value that."

The presenter shares, “Running has made me more resilient, like I can cope with anything."