Jo Whiley heartbroken after husband accidentally killed family cat
Jo Whiley emotionally told Zoe Ball on the latest episode of their Dig It podcast that her husband Steve Morton accidentally killed their family cat, Bengal Simba.
Jo Whiley's husband accidentally killed their family cat.
The 60-year-old radio presenter's spouse, music executive Steve Morton, is in a "world of pain" after he "slowly" drove his car over 14-year-old Simba without realising the Bengal breed had moved back on to their driveway after he had initially moved her to park the vehicle.
An emotional Jo told her fellow BBC Radio 2 host Zoe Ball, 54, on the latest episode of their Dig It podcast: "I feel like I haven't been completely honest with what's going on in my life, but I can't - I just can't talk about it.
"Sorry, I thought I should do it, but I don't think I can. And God, it's really hard to talk about, but I should do it because I think it's actually relatively common.
"But we came back from holiday, and all the kids are out doing various different things. I went to my mum and dad, and I got a call from Steve in a complete panic.
"And he had come home, and he - it sounds ridiculous to say - but he'd run our cat over. And it's really sad."
Jo - who also has another cat named Gingin, a Sproodle dog called Brodie and a golden retriever named Boosh - continued: "It's really awful.
"So, whereas once we were a family with four pets, we now have three.
"It was Simba, our cat, who was the old lady of the family. And I think we've showed pictures of her before, and I've talked about her before. She was the Bengal.
"In fact, we did. She was on the other day. She was our Bengal, and she's about 14 years old. And she was really noisy and really, really hungry all the time.
"So she was always - had a very fierce presence.
"I ordered so much cat food that arrived yesterday morning, ironically, that he drove into the driveway and she was lying because it's so hot outside.
"The animals have just been lazing around on the gravel.
"And she was lying there. And he literally drove in really slowly, he said.
"And he got out of the car and went to move her out of the way, moved her, physically moved her, thought that she'd gone, and then drove the car in, and she hadn't.
"We just cannot work out what on earth happened. And he's absolutely distraught."
Simba used to love sitting on Steve's lap, and he often joked with Jo that she was his "girlfriend".
The DJ said: "Because in those evenings when he's at home, and I'm at work, and he's always said, 'Oh, she's my girlfriend.'
"She wouldn't sit on anyone else's lap, she'd just go to him. So he's in a world of pain."
Jo and Steve have four children together - daughters India and Coco, and sons Jude and Cassius - and she is glad they were not at home when the accident happened.
The broadcaster said: "We had to spend the whole day yesterday because none of the kids were at home - thank God when it happened.
"He had to deal with that with our lovely friend, Andrew the vet, who came along and put her out of her misery."
The couple - who got married in Northampton in 1991 - eventually told their children about the tragic accident, and Jo described it as the "worst thing in the world".
She said: "And then we just had to wait and just tell the kids, and that's the worst thing in the world.
"Having to work out the words to say, knowing like going to pick up Coco, she's had an amazing day with her friends, knowing you've got this awful news that you've got to tell her to make everything come crashing down and doing that.
"And then Cas, who loves animals so much.
"So it's been horrid."
Jo was initially reluctant to discuss the accident on her and Zoe's podcast, but she decided to speak about it to highlight that lives are not all joyous.
The star said: "I thought I could do it. And then I went outside, and Coco was just sobbing.
"And then I just thought it was important because this is all about reflecting our lives, and it's not all happy, sunny, smiley stuff. Real things happen."
India, Coco, Jude and Cassius are heartbroken over Simba's death - but they are more "worried" about Steve.
Speaking about how Steve is doing following the accident, Jo said: "He's OK. I mean, testament to my kids that they were upset about Simba, but they were more worried about Dad.
"So, yeah, I'm giving him lots of love."
