Lived through a lot over two decades in the public eye

Morning Live presenter Kym Marsh turns 49 today (June 13) – and as a true Entertainment Daily favourite, we wish her the happiest of birthdays.

Fans have followed the life and loves of popular former Coronation Street actress and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Kym ever since she first found fame with Hear’Say in 2001.

But over the last twenty years during her time in the public eye, Kym has also endured very sad experiences, including the death of her son Archie. Through many of those tough challenges, Kym’s strength and commitment to raising awareness has endeared her even more to her fans.

Kym Marsh has turned 49 today (Credit: YouTube)

Kym Marsh tragedies

Kym and then-partner Jamie Lomas were heartbroken when baby Archie was born prematurely in February 2009.

She went into labour at 21 weeks. Archie sadly died just minutes after he was born.

“It was the worst thing that’s ever happened to me,” she’s said previously. “I was absolutely devastated. It’s the most painful thing I’ve ever felt.”

Brave Kym has continued to remember Archie on social media over the years. And in 2018 her daughter Emilie paid tribute to Archie with a tattoo.

Kym also shared in March 2024 how Archie was buried with her late father. She reflected at the time: “I felt that there had to be a time when I let Archie rest. Fifteen years is a long time to carry his ashes around. They have been everywhere with me.”

She added her dad was consulted, and he “said he was happy to go on his journey with Archie, so that’s what we’ve done.” Kym continued: “We’ve done it as a family and it absolutely felt like the right thing to do.”

Kym Marsh on grief

Meanwhile, Kym previously said the stigma surrounding talking about the loss of a child left her feeling “alone”.

“Initially I didn’t want to talk about it at all,” she told OK! in 2024. “Part of me felt if I didn’t talk about it, then it wasn’t real. But talking about Archie has helped me and that’s why I try to encourage people to talk as much as possible.”

Kym continued by noting “there’s still a huge taboo around the subject” as death make people fee “uncomfortable”. “It can be a very lonely place. Certainly for me as a mother, I felt very alone and quite isolated,”she added.

However Kym felt when communication improved with her loved ones, she was able to recognise they were all suffering. “The more we talk, the more we see change, but there is always more to be done,” she went on.

Losing her dad

Sadly, Kym’s dad Dave passed away in January 2024 following a battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.

Dave’s diagnosis was first revealed in June 2021. He had delaying getting a checkup during the earlier stages of the pandemic.

In a tribute on Instagram, a devastated Kym wrote: “For the first time in my life I have no words. I love you dad. Always and forever. Rest easy Pops. Goodnight God bless.”

Just a couple of months before, Kym and her parents made a heartbreaking appearance on TV during which an emotional Kym broke down.

She told viewers: “For those of you who have been watching Dad, right from his diagnosis, you’ve been really kind. You know following his story, where we’re at now. I mean Dad is very frail now.”

Kym also explained how the cancer had spread to her dad’s bones – and he couldn’t have chemotherapy.

“One amazing thing about my dad now is that even now, as sick as he is, he still wants to do as much as he can to help other people,” Kym went on. “He wants to be able to say ‘Don’t leave it, you know if there’s something not right.’ Just go and get checked. Your dads, your uncles, your brothers, your sons. Please just get that message across.”

Kym went on: “We know we’ve got to that point where they can’t do anything else for him, and they said ‘Go and make memories with your family,’ and that’s very much what we’re doing.”

Kym Marsh and her dad Dave appeared on Morning Live to discuss his condition (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

‘The most incredible man with the biggest heart’

And in recent days, ahead of Men’s Health Week, Kym has relived how her dad came to realise how unwell he’d become.

She’s reported to have said: “My dad had had various health issues over the years, but I remember him turning to me and saying ‘this is one I can’t beat’…and that was kind of a blow really.”

Nonetheless, Kym also remembered her dad telling jokes during his final days.

“Even when he was on all sorts of medication, he was still trying to make us laugh to try and make us feel better. He was just the most incredible man with the biggest heart,” she added.

Kym Marsh adored her dad Dave (Credit: BBC iPlayer)

Anxiety battle

Meanwhile, in the months following Dave’s diagnosis, Kym stepped away from her TV work for a few weeks.

She shared in October 2021: “I’ve suffered with anxiety attacks in the past and they’ve come back with a vengeance. Life’s been pretty difficult for me. I need to make a choice here about what I’m going to do.

Life’s been pretty difficult for me. I need to make a choice here about what I’m going to do.

“I decided to step back from Morning Live to focus on my nearest and dearest.”

Kym went on at the time: “You might have noticed I’ve not been around much since the end of July – well there’s been some very good reasons for that. I think it’s fair to say the last few months have been ridiculously busy with one thing or another for me and my family.”

Barney RIP

In August 2023, Kym shared how her family had lost their beloved pet dog Barney.

“Had to say goodbye to our beautiful boy Barney,” she told social media users at the time. “We will miss you so much mate,” she continued. “Best dog ever. My heart is broken.”

Having previously described her dogs as “a huge part of my life”, and “important members of my family”, Kym later detailed how her other dogs Rico and Stan felt Barney’s absence too.

“My Rico and Stan are clearly missing their big bro Barney,” she said at the time. “They are so clingy and haven’t left my side since he left us.”