WHEN Simon Thomas lost his wife Gemma six years ago, he struggled to cope and try to raise their son Ethan.
But thanks to his second wife Derrina Jebb, the family was reunited and Simon credits her with saving his son.
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Simon Thomas with pregnant Derrina Jebb and their daughter Talitha Credit: Instagram
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Simon begins a new chapter with Derrina on their wedding day in 2021. Credit: Instagram
Now the couple has a one-year-old daughter, Talitha, and another child on the way.
In an exclusive interview, Soccer Saturday host Simon, 51, who admits to drinking heavily after his wife’s death, says: “Without a doubt, she’s the reason Ethan is on the right foot.
“Derrina is a great blessing for us after everything that happened.
“She is a mother figure who entered his life, and it is an incredible sacrifice to love someone else’s child.
“So despite everything that’s happened, Ethan is incredibly happy and blessed, which is strange to say.
“But Derrina loves him as if he were her own.”
Gemma, 40, died just three days after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2017, when Ethan was eight.
This left her husband and son understandably devastated, with Simon struggling to move on after the loss but continuing to try for his son’s sake.
But as he continued to struggle with grief, his drinking spiraled out of control.
He previously admitted: “For months, every night was a struggle not to drink. I would occasionally win, mostly lose.
Simon Thomas missed his late wife’s signs of blood cancer – symptoms of leukemia he wants everyone to know about
“I would drink a liter of vodka in the evening, disguised as a can of Coke.
“In social situations, where I felt more paranoid than ever before, it became an even bigger mask.”
Simon found himself “on the verge of losing everything” as he tried to “numb the pain”.
He has now been sober for over two years and is able to fully embrace family and work. Speaking about the change in lifestyle, he said:
“The greatest benefit is the joy of presence.
“I know it’s hard for parents on a whole range of fronts — there’s a battle for our attention.
“I really enjoyed being there. It’s without a doubt one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
He met Derrina (31), the pastor’s daughter, a year after Gemma’s death and she has been by his side ever since.
It’s been a steep learning curve, but I consider myself lucky to have them both
Simon Thomas
Derrina entered Ethan’s life when he was ten years old and the two became firm friends. She is also his point of contact when he needs help with his homework.
Simon said: “Stepmothers get a bad rap because they get a bad rap in some children’s films, but I think the most amazing gift you can give a child is to love them as your own.
“She decided to love him even though he is not her flesh and blood. It’s an amazing gift to give a child.”
Simon, who works with his old Blue Peter co-star Konnie Huq with Talking Futures to encourage parents to talk to their children about the years ahead, regularly posts snaps of his new wife and son together.
He also told how Derrina makes sure the family remembers Gemma, from releasing balloons to mark her birthday to talking about her at home.
Eighteen months ago, Simon and Derrina welcomed their first child, Talitha, and are now preparing for another child, which Ethan hopes will be a boy.
“We decided to leave the reveal until the birth, as there are so few surprises these days,” says Simon.
Given the large age difference, Simon wanted to make sure his son would be comfortable with the new addition after spending most of his life as an only child.
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Ethan photobombs the happy couple in their homeCredit: Instagram
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Father and son – Simon with teenager Ethan Credit: Instagram
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Simon works alongside his old Blue Peter colleague Konnie Huq for Talking Futures
He and Gemma had hoped for another child, but due to infertility problems, they were unable to conceive.
Speaking at the 2023 Streams Studio on social media, Simon said: “After we had Ethan, Gemma and I wanted to give him a sibling, but we found out that Gemma had a serious fertility problem. After two rounds of IVF and a miscarriage, we realized it wasn’t meant to be, but one child was a blessing.”
Simon talks about how Ethan knew he had a sibling when he was younger and took to his new big brother role like a duck to water.
Simon says: “He absolutely loved it. It was a big change for him because he spent 13 years as an only child and got used to that kind of life.
“Talitha arrived eight weeks early, which was a shock. They have such a beautiful connection, even though there is an age gap.
“It’s nice to see Ethan’s face light up when he comes home from school, and she loves to wave to him every morning. Ethan has been learning guitar for a while now and is getting better.
“He tends to practice 20 minutes before he goes to school and Talitha always runs over to watch him play.”
The last weeks of the birth were difficult because Derrina suffered from pre-eclampsia, a dangerous condition for both mother and child.
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Simon, young Ethan and Gemma Credit: Instagram / @simonthomastv
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Simon with fellow Blue Peter presenters Katy Hill, Konnie Huq and dog Bonnie in 1999. Credit: BBC
Announcing the birth of their daughter on Instagram, Simon said: “One moment we think we have eight weeks until our little one arrives, and the next, after Derrina suddenly falls ill, we suddenly welcome a very tiny, but extremely precious, baby girl into the world. just over three pounds.”
Fortunately, both mum and baby recovered well from the “scary” birth, but it meant a stressful period of adjustment at home.
“We had a teenager in the house and a premature baby in the hospital,” Simon said. “It’s been a steep learning curve, but I consider myself lucky to have them both.”
Simon found that having a newborn is like being in new territory all over again.
He said: “Nothing prepares you for a screaming newborn. Many years passed between Ethan’s age and Talitha’s birth. I’ve forgotten most of it.”
Ever since he entered his teenage years, Ethan had developed the classic trait of being too chatty, but Simon and Derrina had seen a big change in him since he joined the military cadets three months ago.
“It’s really helped him become more organized and useful around the house,” Simon said.
“We believe in teaching kids to take on a role — I don’t want him to go to university and not know what a washing machine is. I would be so ashamed.
Ethan is incredibly happy because she loves him as her own. Stepmoms have a bad reputation, but it’s a great gift for a child
Simon Thomas
“The cadets are helping him grow up a bit. It certainly triggered his organizational gene.” This led to a bittersweet moment for Simon – he no longer had to pack his son’s lunch.
Since Gemma passed away, the former Blue Peter host has slipped a note into Ethan’s lunchbox every day to remind his son how much she loves him.
But now Simon tells The Sun: “I can’t remember the last time I made him a sandwich. He prepares his own lunch every day.”
However, father and son will not fight over the things they will continue to talk about because Ethan is planning a career as a journalist. However, he does not want to follow in his father’s footsteps on television, neither as a children’s presenter nor as a sports reporter.
Simon said: “We have a lot of conversations about the future, and right now he wants to be a journalist, not a TV guy. I don’t want to stop him from being like that, but I want to make sure he’s aware that it’s a competitive career.
“I said you should start doing things now, maybe suggest to your school that they start a magazine.
“He’s about to turn 16 and is choosing his GCSEs and what direction to go after. I think these conversations with him are empowering and it’s very important that we don’t avoid it.
“Some of my best conversations with Ethan were in the car or on walks. It makes it less intimidating than the eye contact version.”
- Parents and teachers can find out more and access free resources at talkingfutures.org.uk.
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Simon presents Football SaturdayCredit: Sky Sports
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