New girlfriend Emma has been his rock

Vinnie Jones has opened up about a sudden family death, six years after he lost his wife Tanya to cancer.

Vinnie’s wife of 25 years, Tanya, died in 2019, six years after receiving a cancer diagnosis. She was 53.

Now, the ex-football hardman has revealed that he’s been forced to endure another heartbreaking loss. This time, his beloved mum Glenda, who died a few months ago at the age of 80.

Vinnie Jones has revealed how he found out his beloved mum had died (Credit: YouTube)

Vinnie Jones on death of his mum Glenda

Speaking to the Mail, Vinnie shared the sad news that his mum Glenda had a heart attack and sadly died a few months ago. He said the grief was “like a blanket that some invisible person throws over you. You’re never going to see your mum again and your brain just can’t figure it out.”

He was in London, away from his family, when she died, filming series 2 of The Gentlemen for Netflix. He said his sister called him to deliver the shock news. Vinnie said: “I pulled up by the trailer at seven o’clock in the morning and my phone went and it was my sister just shouting: ‘Mum’s gone. Mum’s gone.’ It was quite horrific.”

However, he said the death of Glenda hit him ‘differently’ to losing wife Tanya.

Tanya was 53 when she died in 2019 (Credit: Splash News)

‘I’d already read that book – it wasn’t as shocking’

He said, with Tanya, there was “a lot of anger and a lot of giving up”. He added that when Tanya died, his “coping mechanism” was “anger, screaming, shouting, tears and disbelief”.

With his mum, however, he said that it “wasn’t as shocking”. Vinnie admitted: “I’d already read that book. It wasn’t as shocking.”

Moving on

Vinnie is now happy with girlfriend Emma, who he credits as being his rock through his grief.

However, he did feel guilty when they got together, he said. “That’s part of the process. But I’m very content… I wake up every day and say: ‘Thank you, Lord.’”