Woody says family tragedy has made him reevaluate life (Image: Getty)
The Circle star has revealed how family tragedy made him re-evaluate life. The 24-year-old – son of and – was left devastated when both his grandmas died last year. Julia, who was Zoe’s mother died in April after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Then eight months later Noman’s mother Ros also passed away.
Woody said: “Last year a lot of stuff happened as a family. The family is a little bit smaller than it was. So it’s given us time to spend more time together and reevaluate. Life can be very busy. I live in Bristol. My family live in Brighton. My mum was always working in London. There wasn’t always time. And now – more than ever – it’s about making that time. Because you never know how long a life is. Sometimes I realise that my parents need me just as much as I need them to support me. I didn’t really realise that before. We’ve got each other.”
Woody – who is a DJ and TV star – also wants to help raise awareness about mental health and believes it “is the epidemic that everyone is facing.”
Zoe Ball and Woody Cook are both in therapy (Image: -)
Woody and mum Zoe have both had therapy and he embraces daily rituals to keep his mind healthy. He added: “We spend life running away whether it’s gigging, working or whatever we do. There’s a quote “everyone’s got something to numb the pain”.
“We can all run away from the fact that some of us feel like that. I’ve had a lot of mental health stuff around me. So many friends go through horrible situations, people aren’t here anymore. There’s a real epidemic.
“We don’t do enough to help and educate these people.”
Talking about therapy has helped change his life, he continued: “I’ve had therapy before. And like my mum says, the first thing her therapist told her years ago is that everyone needs therapy. Gratitude is quite a powerful emotion in the body. Just walking down the street and being grateful can shift the way your brain is feeling.”
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Now Woody has returned to England and is fronting a campaign with Specsavers to mark Tinnitus Awareness Week, which ran from February 3-9.
Having been a longtime tinnitus sufferer, he’s warned others about the dangers of the disorder explaining: “For me it’s about protecting my hearing for the future. It feels good to be able to help people and to spread a positive message.
He added: “I didn’t know I had it. It doesn’t have a crippling effect on my life but it represents is worse. If I’ve got hearing damage now, God forbid it gets worse later in life.
“It’s about protection and people understanding the dangers so that you can hear your grandkids.
“I’ve had such a warm response from people. When I can use my platform, which I’m so blessed to have, to spread a positive message, I will never turn that down.”