The Feud's Jill Halfpenny's double tragedy as father and partner die of heart attacks

Jill Halfpenny has been a much-loved actress on , with a career that has spanned over three decades. She has gained recognition for her roles in several beloved programmes, including Byker Grove, , and Waterloo Road. She is currently starring in a brand new series on which also stars Rupert Penry-Jones and will premiere tonight.

Jill has faced significant personal challenges despite her professional achievements over her 49 years. She first experienced loss when her father, Colin Halfpenny, passed away from a heart attack in 1979 when Jill was only four years old. Tragically, nearly 40 years later, in 2017, she suffered another heartbreaking loss when her partner, Matt James, also died from a heart attack.

Jill opened up recently on how she has been affected by losing two of the most important men in her life. She told The : "My dad died of a heart attack when I was four. It was never addressed, and as a result, I liked to stay busy. I was always filling my time trying not to think, and I hated the idea of going home and realising that I had nothing on."

Colin died at the age of 36 after he had a heart attack during a game of five-a-side football. She added: "The quietness of Sundays was awful. I thrived on stress and stimulation; I danced as much as I could.

"Without knowing, I was learning a lesson: ballet is often painful, but if you stay with the pain, it gets a lot easier. It took me decades to realise the same method applies to dealing with grief."

Jill shared that the loss of her father had a lasting impact on her throughout her adult life, leading her to turn to alcohol as a way to cope with her unaddressed grief.

"All of that unaddressed grief prevented me from fully experiencing happiness. I kept waiting for something to fill the void, hoping everything would eventually fall into place. When success started to come my way and I still didn't feel whole, I began to unravel. I spent my 30s working on this issue. I had relied on alcohol to numb my thoughts, but eventually, I sought help and went to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). I got sober."

Jill's world then came crashing down again in her forties when her partner, Matt, suddenly died of a heart attack at the age of 43. She recounted how he left for an exercise class one morning, never to return. The couple, who were trying to have a baby, shared a loving moment before he left, completely unaware that it would be the last time they would see each other.

The Feud airs on Channel 5 tonight at 8pm.