Tina Malone became emotional on Good Morning Britain as she spoke about the death of her husband. Paul Chase, who was also known by his married name of Malone, was an army veteran and loving dad to the couple’s daughter, Flame.
The couple got married in 2010, appearing on Celebrity Four Weddings. They later documented their journey to have a child together, as Tina, who was 50 at the time, underwent IVF in Cyprus and gave birth to daughter Flame in 2013.
Paul suffered from nightmares and panic attacks brought on by his time in the army. His issues with PTSD worsened in 2020 after he was made redundant and Tina was hospitalised due to Covid-19. During his time in the armed forces, Paul served in tours of Iraq, Afghanistan, Falklands, Belize and Northern Ireland.
At Paul’s inquest in Liverpool last October, the former Shameless star said: “That’s when he started to go downhill. He was out of a job. Money was tight. We were both struggling and the last 12 months were absolutely heartbreaking.”
Paul tragically took his own life on March 13 2024. Speaking about her husband last year, Tina said Paul was “funny, arty, kind, loving, caring, romantic, and a wonderful father”, but added: “he just wanted to escape life.”
The ex-Brookside star is now advocating for increased support for veterans. In an interview with Susanna Reid and Ed Balls today, October 2, Tina said: “Paul had issues, in the last six months particularly of his life, to the point where some services I used, I said, ‘You can’t let him come home with me, with a ten-year-old, he’s saying what he’s going to do.”
Tina added that there was a “lack of protocol for veterans”, saying: “One of the soldiers I spoke to in Paul’s regiment, Cheshire’s 22nd regiment, actually said to me: ‘The Army are incredible at making you a soldier. They just can’t make you into a civilian.’ There’s no transition.”
She further opened up on her marriage with Paul and spoke about him returning from Afghanistan, saying: “But within a month, I knew from the sleep apnoea, from the panic attacks, I unfortunately concealed his depression because I was in the public eye, and I didn’t want to confront it, so it was a long time before we saw doctors.”
Tina was visibly emotional as she urged for more support for veterans this morning, saying: “There seems to be a lack of protocol for veterans. Things take time to implement.”
The actress said “You can’t hide pain and anger at systems that just aren’t in place, I just want protocol, why do we have veterans on the streets?”
Tina explained that after endlessly writing to Armed Forces Secretary Alistair Carns, as well as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Prince Harry, she arranged a meeting with the minister after reaching out publicly on X.
After the support she received after her husband died, Tina took to social media at the time and wrote: “I am totally overwhelmed at the cards, flowers, messages, calls, texts, emails I’ve received from friends, family, colleagues, Paul’s army brothers. It’s a great comfort for us.
“I will reply to everyone soon as I am able to. The support and kindness on here to has deeply touched me too.”