Breakfast radio veteran Robin Bailey has revealed the heartbreaking truth behind a glamorous throwback picture of herself at a charity ball.
The 51-year-old, whose second husband died of cancer last September, shared a picture she associates with his memory on Monday, ahead of this year’s Bravehearts Ball.
The 2019 event, which annually supports people affected by child sexual assault, was one of the last outings Bailey had with Sean Pickwell before he died on September 26.
The 56-year-old’s death followed that of Bailey’s first husband, Tony Smart, who took his own life in September 2014. He is the father of her children – Fin, Lewin and Piper.
Bailey, who was pictured with wings on at the charity event, detailed why she called it ‘F*****d Off Fairy’ in her post on Instagram and Facebook.
The 50-year-old, whose second husband died of cancer last September, shared a picture she associates with his memory on Monday (pictured), ahead of this year’s Bravehearts Ball
‘It was taken just over 12 months ago when Sean was very, very sick but put on his wedding suit to accompany me to the Bravehearts Ball (the theme was fairytales),’ she said.
‘I am one of their ambassadors and he really wanted to do this for me.
‘This photo was taken as I was clearly deep in thought but says so much to me about believing in the best (with wings firmly in place) but facing up to the worst.’
Bailey then called on the public for its opinion on printing the picture in black and white or colour to mark the occasion.
Bailey is still grieving the death of Pickwell, and her post followed another highlighting her ‘dark’ weekend.
‘I’m fine and I don’t day this for sympathy but I also don’t want to just go on social media showing happy snaps when the reality isn’t that,’ she said in an Instagram post on Sunday.
‘I’m fine but I’m really, really sad and unlike most days, when these moments pass, this weekend they haven’t.
‘I have a list of tools I go through to try and push through the sadness and for me one is exercise.’
The Brisbanite’s posts also followed a heartfelt message to her 30-year-old self in July, which offered words of hope and encouragement, despite enduring ‘absolute devastation’ in recent years.
‘I’d tell Robin that she would have three incredible sons whose unique personalities would both challenge and excite her,’ Bailey told The Courier Mail.
Sean Pickwell (pictured with wife Robin Bailey) was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2017, and proposed to Bailey just days after finding out his liver cancer had spread to his bones, blood and other organs. Pickwell died in September last year
Robin Bailey jetted off to India with her three sons (pictured) to ‘reconnect as a family of four again’ after the death of her second husband, Sean Pickwell, in September
‘I’d tell her that everything she hoped for them would be marred by tragedy in their short lives but that they will be more than OK … And finally I’d tell her that her life will be blessed and she will feel unbelievable love and absolute devastation.’
Bailey added she would ‘survive’ the devastation, which would make her more grateful for her closest friends and family in the years to come.
Bailey only returned to the airwaves in January, joining the Australian Radio Network’s (ARN) 97.3 FM’s breakfast show.
It is the first she has worked since resigning from Triple M Brisbane in September to spend more time with her dying spouse.
Robin Bailey and Sean Pickwell (pictured with Bailey’s three sons family) made a conscious decision to make as many memories together as they can before Pickwell’s imminent passing
Bailey was was given free reign over music choices in an emotional final program.
She played hits including ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor, and choked back tears throughout the bulletin.
‘Leaving this show is the first time I have walked of my own accord,’ Bailey said during the broadcast.
‘I don’t think anyone thought it was going to work. It did … we found a way of respecting each other.’
Fast-forward to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bailey said she was taking time to reflect on the past 12 months and was grateful for her job as a broadcaster.
‘Every day I have moments of not wanting to face the world but so what, that’s called life. No one can make my life better except me so I am bloody grateful for this job, that it is with people I respect, doing something I love and hopefully making a difference to people who need it,’ she said.
Pictured: Robin Bailey with her first husband, who took his own life after a battle with depression
Pictured: Radio host Robin Bailey farewells her husband who died of cancer only a few years after her first partner took his own life in an emotional funeral service
Bailey shared the news of her second husband’s passing on her Facebook page on September 26.
‘What can I say … my big beautiful panda has gone. He died as he lived … his way … at home with us holding him … early this morning,’ she wrote.
‘In this moment there are no words or feelings that can truly express the love and gratitude I have for my husband Sean Pickwell.
‘He came into our lives and healed us. He loved me so hard and taught me so much and now whatever life throws at us we will be stronger, wiser and more fierce because of him.
‘He was my absolute soul mate, the true love of my life and whatever I do from now on he will be in my heart and in my corner cheering me on.’
Following the tragedy, Bailey sold her $500,000 home and embarked on a soul-searching trip to India with her three sons.
She regularly posted pictures of the family as she worked on reminding the boys ‘how lucky they are’.
While in India, Ms Bailey uploaded regularly as she worked on reconnecting and reminding the boys ‘how lucky they are’
Ms Bailey visited temples and mosques to enrich herself in the religions of India
‘I want us to taste, smell, touch and feel things that challenge us,’ she wrote on the day they set off to India.
The family visited temples and mosques to experience the different cultures in India.
On the second day, they visited a Sikh temple which helps feed 70,000 people, a market with cheap fake designer products, and then a lunchtime chat about the Indian caste system.
It was then she realised she was missing her husband, but was going to continue pushing through.
‘I’m missing Sean desperately,’ she captioned the photo.
‘We used to have our travelling routine down pat but I’m pushing the boys to take some control as God knows I don’t know how to do it all and we are working it out.’
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Robin Bailey (pictured) only returned to the airwaves in January – joining the Australian Radio Network’s (ARN) 97.3 FM’s breakfast show
Source: Daily Mail
