My Mum, Your Dad star Roger Hawes has revealed he ‘resents’ cancer for taking his wife but said she ‘taught him how to love’ – and admitted she ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ that he went on the show. 

Roger, 58, stole the nation’s heart after telling how the mother of his three children Joanne, 52, went to sleep on the sofa and never woke up. 

While on a first date with single mother Caroline, 51, the widower told how Joanne had been irritated by a small spot behind her ear while on a family holiday. She was later diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer which quickly spread to her brain. 

Roger, a postman, has had a hard time finding love on the show due to his grief, but says he is grateful to his daughter Jess, 28, for putting him up for it and giving him hope. 

Roger told The Sun: ‘When Jess told me she had put me through, my mum and sister were worried I wasn’t ready. 

‘I’m never going to not talk about the wife. How can I forget? I look at the children and I can see my wife in them. She taught me how to love. 

‘I never got counselling — I sometimes wonder if I should have — but doing the show has been cathartic, it’s still helping us.’

Speaking on the show, Roger described his struggles with grief, saying: ‘You hit the nail on the head with me just carrying resentment against cancer. It took me wife’s breast and it wasn’t happy with that. Then it took her life.’ 

On whether Joanne would be happy with Roger going on the dating show, the widower said: ‘Jo knew me inside out, we knew what each other was thinking so she wouldn’t be surprised in anything I do or say.

‘She’d be like, ”Oh my god, I knew you’d be like this”. She wouldn’t be surprised in the least.’

Dubbed ‘middle aged Love Island’, the show follows a group of single adults who are looking for another shot at love. 

They are staying in a luxury mansion in Sussex where their grown-up children secretly guide their dating journeys. 

During an emotional scene in the first episode, Roger spoke of Joanne: ‘One day she said, ”I’m very tired, put me on the settee.” And then I come in about half an hour later…she basically never woke up again.’ 

The story reduced his first TV date Caroline to tears and had viewers welling up too.

One person wrote on Twitter: ‘It’s only episode one and I already want nothing but the world for Roger, GIVE THAT MAN A HUG. #MyMumYourDad.’

Another wrote: ‘Aw Roger… What a true gent, big heart and the nation loves you. I think we all want to jump through the telly and give him a squeeze.’ 

Roger told The Sun: ‘I did struggle at first on the show. But the people in there helped me get through it.

‘I was just hoping that maybe I could come out with some confidence.

‘Losing Jo made me think in life you’ve got to go for it. If it’s a bungee jump or being strapped to the wing of a plane, I’ll do it.’ 

On ITV’s Lorraine Roger said: ‘I sort of knew I wasn’t ready. It was difficult but it wasn’t something that I wanted to pass up.’

During a self-improvement group session in Wednesday’s episode, Roger said: ‘I’m carrying resentment against cancer. It took my wife’s breast and then it wasn’t happy with that, it took her life.’

In last night’s episode, Caroline’s daughter Karli said she wanted her mother to go on a date with Roger, but his daughter Jess voiced her opinion that he also has a connection with singleton Janey.

But the group decided to send Janey on a date with Clayton and Roger was given a second date with Caroline and the pair chatted in the garden together.

During the date, Caroline asked Roger if there was anybody else he wanted to get to know on the retreat, with the postman honestly telling her he also likes Janey.

Caroline asked him: ‘Obviously you’ve had a couple of dates with me but like out of the rest of the girls in the retreat, do you see yourself maybe exploring anything with them?’

To which Roger – who lost his late wife Joanne to cancer last year – said: ‘I think only two that are suiting for me are you and Janey really.’

Watching from the bunker, Jess told the other kids: ‘I knew that there was something with Janey, I told you.’

Back at the mansion, a visibly dejected Caroline told Roger: ‘No she is stunning and I get what you mean.’

Speaking to camera, Roger added: ‘Caroline is just really lovely, she goes out of her way to make me feel comfortable, I do like her the more I see her.’

While a disappointed Caroline said: ‘Roger doesn’t give much away so I’ll just have to wait and see how it pans out over the next few days.’

My Mum, Your Dad star Roger Hawes has revealed he ‘resents’ cancer for taking his wife but said she ‘taught him how to love’ – and admitted she ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ that he went on the show. 

Roger, 58, stole the nation’s heart after telling how the mother of his three children Joanne, 52, went to sleep on the sofa and never woke up. 

While on a first date with single mother Caroline, 51, the widower told how Joanne had been irritated by a small spot behind her ear while on a family holiday. She was later diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer which quickly spread to her brain. 

Roger, a postman, has had a hard time finding love on the show due to his grief, but says he is grateful to his daughter Jess, 28, for putting him up for it and giving him hope. 

Roger told The Sun: ‘When Jess told me she had put me through, my mum and sister were worried I wasn’t ready. 

‘I’m never going to not talk about the wife. How can I forget? I look at the children and I can see my wife in them. She taught me how to love. 

‘I never got counselling — I sometimes wonder if I should have — but doing the show has been cathartic, it’s still helping us.’

Speaking on the show, Roger described his struggles with grief, saying: ‘You hit the nail on the head with me just carrying resentment against cancer. It took me wife’s breast and it wasn’t happy with that. Then it took her life.’ 

On whether Joanne would be happy with Roger going on the dating show, the widower said: ‘Jo knew me inside out, we knew what each other was thinking so she wouldn’t be surprised in anything I do or say.

‘She’d be like, ”Oh my god, I knew you’d be like this”. She wouldn’t be surprised in the least.’

Dubbed ‘middle aged Love Island’, the show follows a group of single adults who are looking for another shot at love. 

They are staying in a luxury mansion in Sussex where their grown-up children secretly guide their dating journeys. 

During an emotional scene in the first episode, Roger spoke of Joanne: ‘One day she said, ”I’m very tired, put me on the settee.” And then I come in about half an hour later…she basically never woke up again.’ 

The story reduced his first TV date Caroline to tears and had viewers welling up too.

One person wrote on Twitter: ‘It’s only episode one and I already want nothing but the world for Roger, GIVE THAT MAN A HUG. #MyMumYourDad.’

Another wrote: ‘Aw Roger… What a true gent, big heart and the nation loves you. I think we all want to jump through the telly and give him a squeeze.’ 

Roger told The Sun: ‘I did struggle at first on the show. But the people in there helped me get through it.

‘I was just hoping that maybe I could come out with some confidence.

‘Losing Jo made me think in life you’ve got to go for it. If it’s a bungee jump or being strapped to the wing of a plane, I’ll do it.’ 

On ITV’s Lorraine Roger said: ‘I sort of knew I wasn’t ready. It was difficult but it wasn’t something that I wanted to pass up.’

During a self-improvement group session in Wednesday’s episode, Roger said: ‘I’m carrying resentment against cancer. It took my wife’s breast and then it wasn’t happy with that, it took her life.’

In last night’s episode, Caroline’s daughter Karli said she wanted her mother to go on a date with Roger, but his daughter Jess voiced her opinion that he also has a connection with singleton Janey.

But the group decided to send Janey on a date with Clayton and Roger was given a second date with Caroline and the pair chatted in the garden together.

During the date, Caroline asked Roger if there was anybody else he wanted to get to know on the retreat, with the postman honestly telling her he also likes Janey.

Caroline asked him: ‘Obviously you’ve had a couple of dates with me but like out of the rest of the girls in the retreat, do you see yourself maybe exploring anything with them?’

To which Roger – who lost his late wife Joanne to cancer last year – said: ‘I think only two that are suiting for me are you and Janey really.’

Watching from the bunker, Jess told the other kids: ‘I knew that there was something with Janey, I told you.’

Back at the mansion, a visibly dejected Caroline told Roger: ‘No she is stunning and I get what you mean.’

Speaking to camera, Roger added: ‘Caroline is just really lovely, she goes out of her way to make me feel comfortable, I do like her the more I see her.’

While a disappointed Caroline said: ‘Roger doesn’t give much away so I’ll just have to wait and see how it pans out over the next few days.’