Johnnie Walker and his wife Tiggy are accepting of his impending death and the producer is already a "bit excited" about her own future.
Johnnie Walker's wife is a "bit excited" about her life after the DJ's death.
The 79-year-old broadcaster's spouse Tiggy Walker revealed last week that her husband has incurable idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and was given between two and five years to live in August 2019 and while she "can't imagine" life without the 'Sounds of the 70s' presenter, the 63-year-old producer is still looking forward to her own future.
She told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “When I married Johnnie, his career definitely took priority. There was even an infuriating perception among some BBC producers that I was lucky to be Johnnie’s wife.
"Now as I move into my 60s and [my film adaptation of] 'Antonia' is coming together, I feel I’m coming back into my power.
"I can’t imagine what it will be like with Johnnie not being here, but I will also be in charge of my life again. A bit of me is excited about that.”
Johnnie - who is now wheelchair bound and dependent on an oxygen machine - is happy for his wife to move on.
He joked: “I need to die quickly so that she can get on and make her film."
Tiggy has already contacted an estate agent about their current bungalow home, noting "the brochures are ready to go" and is looking at a cottage a few miles away.
But she is adamant she won't go looking for love again: “There will be no one after Johnnie. Because how could anyone follow him?”
The couple have even started selling off the veteran broadcaster's clothes on online marketplace Vinted.
Tiggy said: “We have a right laugh about it. Some people have got absolute bargains – the other day we sold a lovely Richard James dinner suit for a song.”
And the couple have finalised all the arrangements for Johnnie's funeral.
He said: "I don’t think we want to reveal the details. We need to keep a showbiz element of surprise. Although Tiggy has said that after the service she wants the hearse to go up the high street to the crematorium blasting out Springsteen’s 'Born to Run'."
His wife added: “You’ll be on your own then, Johnnie.
“I’ll be with our guests. I don’t believe in holding your hand until the very last minute."
Despite being accepting of his impending death and supportive of assisted dying, Johnnie insisted it isn't the path he wants to take.
He said: "I’ve even said, if I get a chest infection, which would kill me in two or three days, I don’t want to go to hospital. I want to remain at home...
"I’m not afraid [f dying]. I believe in life after death. I know I’ll be able to look down on Tiggy. She’ll go through loss and sorrow but she will also be free.”
And Johnnie has no plans to stop working.
He said: “For many people, 'Sounds of the 70s' is part of their Sunday afternoon. As long as I can keep doing the show I will. It gives me a purpose. If I stopped doing it I’d probably die a lot sooner. Anyway, when you play records you are bringing back memories for people as well as playing records that they love.”
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