Overview

The story of a national treasure we won't soon forget – by the woman who knew him best. I mention you’ve been smoking. ‘He mustn’t!’ she says, alarmed. ‘There’s so much oxygen in your house he’d explode.’ There is a funny side to this — a cartoonish end: Johnnie Walker DJ Explodes! Just try not to take the house with you. In Johnnie Walker – Both Sides Now, his devoted wife Tiggy shares the final chapter of their life together: the slow, painful goodbye to the man she adored. She reflects on the soaring highs of Johnnie’s legendary Radio 2 career, as they navigate the heartbreak, frustration, and strange intimacy of anticipatory grief. This is an honest, deeply personal portrait of love and loss — a raw, life-affirming tribute to a remarkable life well-lived. With wit and unflinching clarity, Tiggy lays bare the emotional toll of caring for someone at the end of life, and the impossible task of letting go while still holding on. Not just for those who loved Johnnie Walker — this is for anyone who’s known the tangled, messy grace of caring, grieving and loving, all the way to the final breath.

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9780008770037

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Johnnie was disarmingly honest, funny, and unafraid to bare his soul. Tiggy tells their story with such love and tenderness – an endearing tribute to a remarkable man we'll never hear the like of again' – Peter Kay

""An endearing tribute to a remarkable man we’ll never hear the like of again.” – Peter Kay ""A triumph of true love and a loving memoir of one of the best DJ’s ever."" – Mark Knopfler ""The highs and lows of two lives bound together by the most profound love. A truly inspirational story of loving and carding."" – Ken Bruce ""A beautiful memoir, a beautiful tribute to love. Tiggy writes with wit, searing honesty (of course she does!) and irrepressible spirit about her private love for a man who was known by a nation. Funny, painful, always life affirming, this is a must read."" – Rachel Joyce ""Honest, unflinching, hilarious, profound and deeply personal, a true love story in every sense. an invitation into the extraordinary life of a broadcasting legend but also the journey his wife, lover, best friend, carer and most important person in that life has been on."" – Michael Ball ""Beautifully written, searingly honest about the brutal reality of caring for someone you love. Their passion to do everything they could as patrons of Carers UK to make life better for carers shines through in this quite extraordinary story written with raw emotion, humour and love."" – Helen Walker, Chief Executive Carers UK

Author Information

Tiggy Walker is a writer, producer, director, podcaster and columnist. She is also a patron of Carers UK and the former agent of her beloved husband Johnnie Walker. Tiggy married Johnnie in 2002 and cared for him during his illness.

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