Bride-to-be, 46, left ‘absolutely broken’ after fiancé, 45, dies hours before their wedding

JACQUELINE Shepherd’s fiancé tragically died just hours before their wedding.

“I am absolutely broken,” the 46-year-old from Letchworth, said.

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The radio-presenter and her partner, David Gorgeous, 45, had decided to marry during the final weeks of his life after he was diagnosed with terminal gallbladder cancer in March 2024.

David, a dad-of-one, underwent two operations to remove his gallbladder, part of his liver, and lymph nodes, followed by preventative chemotherapy starting in September.

He initially responded well, returning to work as a fragrance brand ambassador and feeling brighter.

But by December, his abdominal pain returned.

“It was a real blow when he started feeling unwell again at the end of the year – it was called a recurrence,” Jacqueline said.

A scan showed the cancer had spread to his peritoneum – the thin tissue lining the abdominal cavity.

Doctors switched him to active chemotherapy, but by March it had to be stopped.

“We were given that awful, horrendous news,” Jacqueline said.

“We absorbed all of that info and decided we wanted a second opinion… but unfortunately, his health deteriorated.”

As David became weaker, the couple were encouraged by the palliative care team to bring their wedding forward.

“I got the marriage licence the day that he died, and we planned to get married the next day at the hospital,” Jacqueline recalled.

David passed away on April 2 at Lister Hospital in Hertfordshire, just one day before the ceremony.

Jacqueline and their two-year-old daughter, Elodie-Grace, were left devastated.

“It breaks my heart,” she said.

“That final week of his life, knowing we were getting married, gave us something to look forward to.

“I think it brought him a sense of peace and helped him to relax.”

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Before his health worsened, David had asked Jacqueline’s dad for permission to marry her.

“We thought we had more time, so we got engaged,” she said.

David had previously beaten Hodgkin’s lymphoma and continued to have regular check-ups.

In early 2024, abnormal liver readings and persistent digestive issues raised new concerns.

“It was spotted early,” Jacqueline said.

“He had the first op in April 2024 and the second in May.

“He started chemo in September, and he was feeling better, much brighter, and feeling good.”

‘I was planning on wearing a pretty floral dress’

The couple had been hopeful about 2025.

“We were looking forward to this year because, as far as we were concerned, he was going to be done with the preventative chemo in February,” she said.

But when symptoms returned in December, a CT scan confirmed the cancer had spread.

“It felt familiar,” Jacqueline said of the abdominal fluid build-up. “The CT scan identified that there were cancer cells in his peritoneum.”

Doctors considered trying another round of chemo, but David’s liver was too damaged.

“He wasn’t in a coma. He was always present and able to talk to me until he died,” Jacqueline said.

The hospital had helped plan a small ceremony.

She said: “I was planning on wearing a pretty floral dress… my dad had organised the rings.

“We had planned for our families to come up – allowing it to be intimate and beautiful.”

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In David’s final days, Jacqueline launched a fundraiser to help cover the cost of his funeral – and it has already raised £62,183 of the £75,000 target.

“He loved being able to read all the lovely comments from people,” Jacqueline said.

“They talked about how generous he had been and how he’d been such a positive influence in their lives.”

“The amount of love that has come our way from so many different walks of life. He was an incredible individual.”