By Louise Scott and Lewis McKenzie
Former STV star Glen Michael has backed a new campaign tackling loneliness – having spoken of the challenges he faced following the death of his wife.
The 95-year-old, best known for Glen Michael’s Cartoon Cavalcade which ran for 26 years, lost his wife Beryl in 2015.
He is supporting the campaign by Age Scotland, which aims to tackle loneliness and social isolation among older people, after describing his own experiences.
“It’s when you come home and it’s slightly dark, and you lock the front door, and the television is turned off and you’re sitting on your own and you realise that you are on your own,” he told STV News.
“I have actually sat in the chair many a time and suddenly realised for no reason at all that I was crying.
“And I couldn’t put my finger on why it was and of course over the time I began to realise it’s because you’re lonely, you haven’t go that person beside you that you’ve always been used to.”
Glen got involved in Age Scotland’s campaign, and outlined the importance of letting people know that there is help.
“I thought I must try and say something about it, draw attention to it,” he said.
“At least people sitting at lonely know there is help somewhere, that somebody cares about you.
At the Queen’s garden party, Glen recalled meeting First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who had watched him on TV.
He said: “I realised there was someone standing in front of me and it was Nicola Sturgeon. She said ‘Do I know you?’ and I said well I used to do a television programme.
“She said ‘my god I used to watch you when I was five.’ It made my day and made me feel very old I must admit.
“That’s one of the perks I have and I love it. And the more people that talk to me, I love it.”
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