BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Annabel Croft 'haunted' by nurse's 'cruel' jibe in front of dying husband

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Strictly star Annabel Croft has been opening up on her husband Mel Coleman’s dying hours and recalled one “cruel” nurse whose words have “haunted” her ever since.The former tennis ace was with Mel for 36 years before his tragic death earlier this year aged 60.He was given a heartbreaking colon cancer diagnosis after complaining of stomach pain and he passed away just 16 weeks later.Emotional Annabel, 57, has been praising nursing staff who attended her husband - who she hails as “angels” - but revealed she hasn’t been able to shake off the words of one who she claims “seemed to take pleasure in telling Mel he was dying”.Annabel said the couple had just come home from a holiday in Portugal when friend Isabella Cooper - a PhD researcher at the University of Westminster who was giving advice to the pair about Mel’s health battle - came to visit and told them to call an ambulance urgently.Annabel - who is currently taking part in this year’s BBC Strictly Come Dancing with Johannes Radebe - said she didn’t realise at the time that her beloved other half “wouldn’t be coming home”.Soon, as writes the Mirror, she was gathered in the hospital with children Amber, Lily and Charlie and their partners when the nurse started talking about death in front of Mel.

Annabel told MailOnline: "When she started to talk like that, I said: 'Can you please come over here and talk to me privately first.

I don't want him to hear this.' But she said: 'No, he is the patient. He has to hear that he is dying'."Annabel went on to say that when son Charlie asked the nurse if his dad had “months or weeks” to live, the reply was: “"Huh!' Almost laughing, mocking our son. 'No — hours.' Mel heard that, all of it.