MARTINE McCUTCHEON'S MUM ON HOW GRIEF TORE FAMILY APART

MARTINE McCutcheon and her mum used to be joined at the hip, but a sudden death in the family led to a devastating breakdown and now they barely speak.

- BY SHELLEY SPADONI

Now heartbroken Jenny Tomlin is desperate for a reconciliation with the former EastEnders actress.

She says: “We were glued together. There was nothing she didn't include me in. We did all the wonderful stuff - the premiere of Love Actually, the lovely restaurants - but the memories I cherish most are of us just sitting on my bed, bringing up old memories and laughing, so hard. I miss that more than anything.”

Their relationship started to fall apart after the tragic death of Martine’s brother Laurence - known affectionately as LJ - in 2022. He was just 31, Jenny says she suffered an emotional breakdown after losing her beloved son and pushed Martine away...just when she and her daughter needed each other the most.

BREAKDOWN

Now Jenny, 69, wants to apologise to Martine, 49, for cutting her off as she tried to process her grief.

“When I lost LJ, I detached from everyone. I was so heartbroken I couldn't talk to Martine, when I know now I should have,” she says.

“There was no big row - Martine tried to contact me for several months, but I just didn’t answer. Martine was grieving as well and needed me too and is probably very upset with me because of this.

“I just want the chance to say sorry to my beautiful daughter. I miss her so much - it physically hurts.”

Jenny and Martine did meet once, briefly, last October, but it wasn't the reunion either would have hoped for.

“Martine texted me out of the blue,” says Jenny. “She'd moved into her new home and wondered if my husband Alan could do some painting.

“We jumped at the chance and went over, but we didn't talk in depth about anything. It was awkward and the atmosphere felt heavy. I couldn't open up at that time.”

There was vague talk of Christmas plans, but nothing was confirmed, and invitations were never extended. That, Jenny says, was when the silence truly began.