Jill Halfpenny has found love, seven years after the death of her partner Matt Janes. Tragically, Matt fell ill whilst at the gym and passed away in January 2017 due to a heart attack, being just 43 years old. His death brought back painful memories for the ex-EastEnders actress, reminding her of her father who also died from a heart attack while playing football in 1979 when she was merely 4 years old.
Jill, who is best known for playing Kate Mitchell on the popular BBC One soap, took some time before moving on and finally finding solace in a man called Ian, as mentioned during a chat with Prima Magazine.
Jill told the magazine: “It sounds so cheesy, but I think Ian and I met at the perfect time”. After coming into terms with Matt’s death, she had doubted if she’d ever be able to meet anyone again, but was hopeful adding: “After Matt died, I didn’t know if I’d ever meet anyone again, but Ian is my cheerleader – I know I’ve met somebody who I love and who loves me.” Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news
West End veteran Jill also confided about her journey through grief, asserting that learning new ways to cope with her pain at 48 years old has made her a “better person”, reports the Mirror. She further explained: “I was in my 20s when I realised a lot of my behaviour was down to this unprocessed grief. I got divorced, I stopped drinking alcohol and then it all seemed so clear the jigsaw pieces fit.”
“Grief has made me a better person. Processing the grief has softened me and I’ve become less judgemental about myself. I am my own worst critic, but I have got better”, she said. This inspired her to pen a memoir, A Life Reimagined, focusing on navigating profound grief, as she firmly believes it needs to be “talked about”. She added: “There’s this idea that grief shouldn’t be discussed because it might cause distress. But I need to talk about it; I want Matt present in the room with me. I want to keep his memory alive.”
Jill was previously married to actor Craig Conway for three years before having a brief relationship with Ant McPartlin. She spoke candidly about Matt’s passing to Line of Duty star Craig Parkinson on the Two Show Podcast in 2019, describing his death as a “double loss” as it painfully echoed her father Colin’s demise.
