Actor has spoken out about the lingering pain he feels over the loss of his sister 12 years ago.
Renowned for his Hollyoaks role and his vocal advocacy for mental health awareness, the Strictly star discussed the and his journey through grief.
The actor’s sister, Joanne, died suddenly aged 44 in 2012 from heart failure. Reflecting on her death, he confessed to feeling “guilty”.
Speaking to , the Broadchurch star explained that he felt it could have been prevented if someone had been with her to speak up when it mattered most.
Mellor also spoke about seeking justice through the courts but found it ineffective, despite believing more could have been done to save Joanne.
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Will Mellor’s sister Joanne died from heart failure (Image: Instagram )
Opening up about the sharp pang of missing his loved ones during festive times, Mellor said: “It’s really tough. Grief has a way of surprising you, it hides away.
“I thought that I was okay, I grieved the loss of my sister not too well. I turned to drink and gambling and all the things that I would advise against. But I didn’t know what to do.”
The musician opened up about a personal tragedy and said: “My sister was disabled and she died in circumstances that I think were preventable.”
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Will Mellor starred in Strictly in 2022 (Image: BBC)
Mellor added: “And I felt guilty because I was her brother, and I couldn’t help her. She looked at me – even though I was her younger brother – because she was mentally disabled and physically disabled she was always like a child to me. And that killed me.”
He also faced the sorrow of losing his father, Bill, in April 2020, shortly after a cancer diagnosis and amid strict -19 restrictions.
Offering advice to those grappling with loss, Mellor said: “The advice I’d give is when I lost my dad I just cried when I felt like crying, I let it out. I didn’t hold it in, I just let it out. And I think with my sister I held it in, I tried to protect everybody else from grieving.
“I pretended I was okay when I was dying inside. I think talking is massive, you have to talk. If you’re struggling, it’s okay not to be okay – and I know it’s a bit of a cliche, but I’ve said it a lot about mental health awareness. It’s okay not to be okay.”