British fashion influencer and brand owner Lorna Luxe left fans heartbroken last week after announcing her husband's cancer has exhausted all treatment methods, leaving him needing palliative care. And now she's bravely opened up about the reality of facing widowhood in her forties.
Lorna and her husband John Andrews have been together for decades, making a fortune from business ventures despite Lorna's humble beginnings growing up on a council estate in Trafford, Greater Manchester.
The couple, now 43 and 64, have documented their life together for years, with Lorna accumulating a following of 1.7 million on Instagram. But the pair were hit with devastating news in April 2023 when John, a former banker, was first diagnosed with stage three cancer and underwent chemotherapy.
After going into remission, Lorna revealed in May 2024 that the cancer had spread to John's brain, as well as coming back in his adrenal gland. It was then classed as stagefour. Now Lorna, who can earn up to £80,000 a month from social media deals, is preparing for the devastating reality of becoming a widow in her 40s.
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Speaking to Fabulous in a candid interview, Lorna said: "Fundamentally, I'm probably going to be a widow at some point in my 40s and that's a bit of a scary place to be for any woman." Lorna revealed to her followers that she had been looking into changing all their finances into her name following his diagnosis, ensuring she was able to understand payments - from household bills to other expenses - that husband John usually sorted.
The well-loved couple were optimistic that things were improving last year after his oncologist had cleared him for surgery to remove the tumour on his adrenal gland. Just a few days later, John was taken ill with an excruciating migraine and rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered another tumour on his brain.
Earlier this month, Lorna revealed his cancer was now terminal and all treatment options had been exhausted. In an update, she posted on Instagram alongside clips of the loved up couple: "John's condition has worsened and he was hit with sepsis over Christmas. He's back home with me now, but we've been told his cancer has progressed to other organs so treatment is no longer an option. But one thing about John, in the 16 years we've been married, his mindset has never wavered. We're looking for a bit of a miracle."
Lorna went on to call John the "bravest man" she's ever known. Speaking to the Metro's Just Between Us podcast, she said: "When you fall in love with someone older, your brain doesn't immediately jump to worrying about them getting sick… Where's the romance in that?"
Though they'd previously agreed not to have children, Lorna, former cabin crew, admitted she's recently felt more "curious" about motherhood lately. "When we met, 26-year-old Lorna wasn't really fussed about a lot of things that 43-year-old Lorna is, right? For example, we don't have kids. Maybe I want to have kids now. I am definitely questioning my decisions over the last 15 years because I've always put everything off."
The influencer said publicly documenting John's illness has helped her cope, with supportive messages from followers providing "exactly what I needed" during difficult times. "When the chips are down, you just want to see people getting behind you", Lorna explained. "I haven't got brothers or sisters. I haven't got a massive family unit.
"When John was in hospital, I would come home overnight, get myself a glass of wine and I would be sat there replying to all these messages. They were all just full of love, really nice – exactly what I needed at that time."
Now, the couple are making the most of their time together by enjoying trips in between hospital appointments. This weekend, the pair spent time at a luxury London hotel, while Lorna celebrated her front-page cover with Fabulous Magazine.
In the same interview, she revealed that despite their now financial success, the pair racked up hundreds of thousands of pounds of debt to help the fashion influencer's dream come to life.
Lorna, who had a passion for creating content online, started purchasing thousands of pounds of clothes to style for videos and pictures on Instagram on the off chance she might start a career. "Something in my gut told me to keep going," she said.
Sure enough, Lorna soon found fame as one of the first British fashion influencers on Instagram and now has a huge following online. One brand deal can rake in as much as £80,000.
Discussing John's illness, she said she knows the couple are "on a timeline". "We certainly aren't discussing funerals or anything like that, though," she added. "We are just not in that space."
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