Craig Cash fought back tears recalling night Caroline Aherne rang him to 'say goodbye' after taking overdose
Craig Cash was very close to The Royle Family creator and co-star Caroline Aherne, who played his on-screen wife, Denise, on the show.
As well as being Aherne's on-screen partner in The Royle Family, he also succeeded her in the role of narrator on Gogglebox after she died from lung cancer in 2016.
Last Christmas, the BBC paid tribute to Aherne in a special documentary honouring her work titled Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy.
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Cash was one of the many stars to speak out about her, and while many guests praised Aherne for her comedy, her co-star recounted some of the more difficult parts of her life.
He was in tears as he remembered the moment The Royle Family creator called him to say 'goodbye' after taking an overdose.
In the 90s, Aherne suffered from depression and went to rehab hospital The Priory, with Cash telling the documentary about the call he got from her late at night.
"It was like the middle of the night," he recounted.
"She was in London and I was in Manchester. I was in bed and the phone rang, and, she was saying goodbye.
"She just said 'I love you and I'm sorry. I'm going, I've taken an overdose.'"
Cash then told the documentary how he said to Aherne that she needed to make herself sick, and he then rang her mum to tell her about the phone call.
Aherne's mum called an ambulance for her daughter and Cash said that paramedics 'broke the door down and got her in time'.
The Royle Family star also remembered another heartbreaking call he received from Aherne years later, when she rang to tell him she was dying and didn't have long to live.
"I just kept saying 'no', just kept repeating 'no' for some, you know," Cash said.
"There's a lot to be said for denial, and she was like 'we had some laughs though, didn't we Cashy.'"
At this point, the tears started flowing for the comedian and actor, who apologised and stepped away from the cameras.
Viewers of Caroline Aherne: Queen of Comedy found Cash's interviews to be among the most affecting moments of an emotional documentary.
Those who watched the show said Cash 'had me in bits', while others thanked him for being part of the documentary.
Someone else wrote: "If there is a nicer man on this planet than Craig Cash I'd like to meet him."
Topics: BBC, Celebrity, TV and Film, Drugs, Mental Health, Health
Joe Harker