Ruth Langsford chokes back tears as she opens up about beloved sister Julia’s tragic suicide and explains the impact the devastating loss has had on her life: ‘I miss her so much’

A tearful Ruth Langsford opened up about her beloved sister Julia’s tragic suicide and its devastating impact as she shared insight into her grief. 

The Loose Women star, 66, said she continues to miss her sibling ‘so much’ but after years of trying to desperately understand, has come to the sad realisation that she will never know why she took her life.

Ruth’s sister Julia Johnson, who had battled depression for years, was found dead at the age of 62 by her husband Paul at their home in Lingfield, Surrey, in June 2019.

Speaking on Fearne Cotton‘s Happy Place podcast the TV personality said: ‘I think suicide is just, it’s such a tragedy and the people left behind are just left not knowing why. And your question is just: “Why? Why? Why? Why?”.

‘And then, as time has gone on, I’ve accepted that I’ll never know why and nothing will bring her back’. 

She went on: ‘The only way that I can make any sense of it and stop it hurting is to just know she didn’t want to be here and nothing I could have done could have changed that really’.

A tearful Ruth Langsford opened up about her beloved sister tragic Julia’s suicide and its devastating impact as she she shared insight into her grief.

‘You just think you could have done something. Why didn’t we see it? How could we not have seen it? Why didn’t she talk to us? Why? Why? Why? And there are no answers because she’ll never be able to tell us why’. 

Crediting work for helping her through her grief, she said: ‘I just miss her so much but I know she would not want me to have sad life and I did a lot crying I did a lot of time off work,’

‘Then I thought “[my sister] doesn’t want this for you” you need to get back out there. And work has always been my saviour actually.’ 

Ruth previously described 2019 as the ‘hardest year’ of her life following Julia’s death and thanked her then husband Eamonn Holmes for his ‘amazing support – the couple split in 2024 after 14-years of marriage.

Ruth has also spoken about how she almost almost quit her TV presenting career after being left ‘heartbroken’ following her sister’s death.

Speaking to Best Magazine in 2020, she admitted: ‘It seemed wrong to be cheery on screen, when, inside, my heart was breaking.’

Ruth’s sister Julia Johnson, who had battled depression for years, was found dead at the age of 62 by her husband Paul at their home in Lingfield, Surrey, in June 2019

But Eamonn encouraged her to go back to work in memory of Julia, after she admitted she had ‘no motivation or desire’ to be in the public eye.

After a month of ‘crying, screaming and sobbing’, Ruth said Eamonn told her she had ‘so much to live for’.

Meanwhile speaking to Kaye Adams on her How to be 60 podcast in 2023 she said: ‘The hardest year of my life was when my sister died. I can’t even tell you what year it is, because I’ve blocked it from my memory really.”I needed a focus, which was – get up and I would cry in the shower – have a big old bawl – and then I could almost cut it off and go: “right, come on, time for work, dry your hair, go to work”.

‘I needed that, because I could lie and cry all day about my sister. I needed that focus and structure back in my life.’

Ruth also stressed the importance of not ‘locking’ the pain of losing a loved one ‘in a box’ as she candidly spoke about her grief with her Loose Women co-star Kaye.

Sharing a photo alongside Julia in June 2019, Ruth told her Instagram followers at the time of her sister’s tragic death: ‘My lovely Sis Julia has sadly died after a very long illness. My heart is completely broken.’

‘She was the kindest and most gentle soul and I will miss her forever. As I am sure you will appreciate I need to take time to grieve with my family. Thank you for your understanding.’

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123 or visit: www.samaritans.org.