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The wife of The Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan has said he “wasn’t ready to give up” when he died.

Victoria Mary Clarke shared news of her husband’s death at the age of 65 in a post on Instagram on 30 November.

MacGowan, who is best known for the festive hit Fairytale Of New York, had suffered from several health issues in recent years, and earlier in November, was treated in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin for an infection.

He was sent home weeks before his birthday, where he died of pneumonia, The New York Times cited Clarke, a writer, as saying.

Discussing his last days, she said she had been trying alternative therapists, hypnotists, health drinks and physios to try to help him.

Ian Dickson/Shutterstock/@victoriamary
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Ian Dickson/Shutterstock/@victoriamary

She said after first learning that her husband was coming to the end of his life, she thought she was “going to die”.

“He was putting up a really strong fight. He was trying very hard to breathe,” she told the Brendan O’Connor Show on Ireland’s RTE radio on Saturday.

“He wasn’t ready to give up. He wasn’t ready to stop fighting – but his body did it for him.”

‘Huge, weird contradiction’

In a separate interview on the weekend, Clarke revealed that both she and Kent-born MacGowan – whose songs were influenced by Irish nationalism – loved the Royal Family, something that she said “people wouldn’t expect”.

“We both enjoyed watching programmes about royalty, we watched a lot of documentaries, obviously the funerals,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

FILE PHOTO: Musician Shane MacGowan watches as U2 perform during their U2: The Joshua Tree Tour, at Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland July 22, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo
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The couple in 2017

“He cried when Prince Philip died, he cried when the Queen died, he cried when Diana died, he thought a lot about the Royal Family, but he was an ardent republican.”

She added that he had a “huge love of England and also of Ireland” in what she referred to as a “huge, weird contradiction”.

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“Sometimes we would be sitting there doing the Telegraph crossword puzzle, and I would just be thinking ‘Gosh, there’s people out there who would be horrified if they could see you doing the Telegraph crossword’.”

Clarke then joined in calls to get the beloved Christmas hit her husband was best known for, back to the top of the UK charts.

“It should be the Christmas number one, it absolutely should. I’m very much in favour of that,” she said.

The announcement of MacGowan’s death was met with an outpouring of tributes, including from Bruce Springsteen, who said people would be “singing Shane’s songs 100 years from now”.

Dublin rock band U2 also paid tribute, posting a drawing of the singer on social media, with the caption: “Shane MacGowan’s songs were perfect so he or we his fans didn’t have to be…”

On Friday, Clarke thanked people for their “love and support” after her husband’s death, posting a picture of the two of them appearing to dance.

“Losing Shane has been the thing that I feared most for a very long time, almost since we first got together,” she wrote.

“Some of the messages and gestures of support have been incredibly moving and unexpected, and I really, really hope that Shane can see how much he is loved by so many people of all ages and kinds.”

The post on Instagram gained more than 25,000 likes and over 1,000 comments.

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Jessie J diagnosed with early breast cancer

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Jessie J diagnosed with early breast cancer

Singer Jessie J has been diagnosed with “early breast cancer”. 

The Price Tag singer, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, said in a video posted to Instagram that she has recently spent a lot of time “in and out of tests”.

She said she will “disappear for a bit” after performing at Capital Radio’s Summertime Ball later this month to have surgery.

“I was diagnosed with early breast cancer,” the 37-year-old said during the video.

“Cancer sucks in any form, but I’m holding on to the word ‘early’.

“It’s a very dramatic way to get a boob job. I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive tits and more music.”

Jessie J attending the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall, London. Picture date: Sunday
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Jessie J at the BAFTA awards earlier this year. Pic: PA

‘I need a hug’

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in the UK.

The singer said sharing her diagnosis publicly has helped her process the news and show solidarity with others going through a similar experience.

“I just wanted to be open and share it,” she said.

“One, because, selfishly, I do not talk about it enough. I’m not processing it because I’m working so hard.

“I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support and also their own stories. I’m an open book.

“It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much similar and worse – that’s the bit that kills me.”

She continued: “The timing of it has been mad but also beautiful and given me this incredible perspective in this time.

“But honestly I need to process it and talk about it and, I need a hug. You have loved me through all my good and hard times. And I don’t want this to be any different.”

‘I’m here for you’

Messages of support from celebrities flooded the comments section under the singer’s post.

Former Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock wrote: “Sending you so much love.”

Fellow singer Rita Ora said: “You’re literally my favourite person and I’m praying for you, you’ve got this. My mother had it and I know the surgery and any treatment on this matter is mentally tough, so I’m here for you.”

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London-born singer Jessie J welcomed her son, Sky Safir Cornish Colman, in 2023, having miscarried in November 2021.

She has battled with ill health throughout her life, having been diagnosed with a heart condition aged eight, suffering a minor stroke aged 18 and having briefly gone deaf in 2020.

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‘Each day is brighter and better’: Meghan shares photos of Lilibet to mark fourth birthday

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'Each day is brighter and better': Meghan shares photos of Lilibet to mark fourth birthday

The Duchess of Sussex has posted pictures of her daughter Lilibet in a touching message on her fourth birthday.

Meghan wrote on Instagram: “Happy birthday to our beautiful girl!

“Four years ago today, she came into our lives – and each day is brighter and better because of it. Thanks to all of those sending love and celebrating her special day!”

The Duchess of Sussex posted a birthday tribute to her daughter. Pic: Instagram
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Meghan also posted a picture of her holding Lilibet as a newborn

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Alongside the birthday wishes, Meghan posted two pictures of her with her daughter.

In one, the pair sport windswept hair with water behind them, while in the other, the Duchess holds her daughter – named after the late Queen, whose childhood nickname was Lilibet – as a newborn.

Last month, Meghan spoke about the challenges of balancing being an entrepreneur and a mother.

Alongside Prince Harry, the duchess stepped back from her duties as a senior working royal in 2020 – before starting a new life in the US.

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King Of The Hill and Parks And Recreation actor Jonathan Joss shot dead in Texas

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King Of The Hill and Parks And Recreation actor Jonathan Joss shot dead in Texas

An actor who appeared in animated series King Of The Hill and hit show Parks And Recreation has been shot dead near his home.

Jonathan Joss, 59, was found injured by police in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday evening.

Officers tried to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The actor’s husband claimed the gunman shouted “violent homophobic slurs” before opening fire, and that Joss had pushed him out the way to save his life.

“He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,” alleged Tristan Kern de Gonzales on Facebook.

He said the couple had previously faced harassment from neighbours, much of it “openly homophobic”.

Joss’s husband said they had been checking for mail at his old home – which earlier this year burned down in a fire that killed their three dogs – when they noticed the skull of one of the animals in front of the property.

He said they began “yelling and crying” and claimed they were approached by a man who threatened them with a gun.

“We were standing side by side,” said Mr Kern de Gonzales. “When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.”

However, San Antonio police said it had found no evidence that the shooting was a hate crime.

“Should any new evidence come to light, we will charge the suspect accordingly,” said a statement.

A 56-year-old man, Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has already been charged with murder.

Joss is best known for voicing Native American character John Redcorn in cult show King Of The Hill, which ran for 13 series and more than 250 episodes from 1997 to 2009.

He also had a recurring role in NBC’s Parks And Recreation as tribal elder and casino owner Chief Ken Hotate.

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A King Of The Hill reboot is due to start in August and Joss had been in Austin, Texas, for events promoting the comeback the day before he was killed.

He posted a video on Instagram saying he was signing autographs at a comic book store, adding that he had already worked on four episodes of the revival.

“The fans get to revisit King Of the Hill again, which I think is an amazing thing because it’s a great show,” he said in the video.

The suspect is being held in a detention centre in San Antonio, but the lawyer representing him could not be traced as they were not listed in court records.

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