Author Cathy Kelly says she will have 'best Christmas ever' with 'beautiful' new partner
The 58-year-old split from her husband of 12 years, former head of Sony Records Ireland John Sheehan, in September 2020.
Author Cathy Kelly has opened up about her “beautiful partner” PJ after her divorce was finalised – saying she is going to have “the best Christmas ever”.
The 58-year-old split from her husband of 12 years, former head of Sony Records Ireland John Sheehan, in September 2020 and they have both since moved on in new relationships.
Cathy, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2023, praised her 21-year-old twins Dylan and Murray and her “beautiful partner” PJ for looking after her so well while going through her cancer treatment.
READ MORE: Cathy Kelly breaks her silence since being diagnosed with cancer
Opening up about the new love of her life, she said: “He is absolutely extraordinary. It’s incredible the amount of women you find who are diagnosed with cancer and their relationship breaks up. It’s a massive journey to undertake with someone.
“It’s incredibly difficult… he was just amazing.. and my two sons, Dylan and Murray. They were so good to me. There were many days I didn’t leave the bed, and they were there.”
Speaking about her Christmas plans, she said she will host 12 at her table this year.
“I’ve always been aware that I’ve been given so many wonderful things in life, even the difficult parts like the end of my marriage, divorce and all that.. I still felt incredibly grateful because I have my two beautiful boys and I’ve been given this writing gift, which means I can do something I love.
“And I can work for charities. So when you’ve gone through something so shattering that could’ve meant I wasn’t going to be here. I think this is going to be the best Christmas ever because I’m so much more relaxed and I am in a beautiful space with beautiful people I love and I am aware how lucky I am.”
Cathy revealed she went on a “wild and exciting trip” with PJ, shortly after her divorce.
“PJ and I – once I got the divorce, we decided to do something wild and exciting, so we went off on a motorbike around Morocco. Life is for living. PJ has had a motorbike for a million years; he doesn’t have a car.
“It was amazing. It was an amazing, wonderful holiday. You’re seeing a different part of the world than if you are in a car. It is very immediate, and I love that. You see unusual places.”
Sharing an update on her health, she said she has felt “amazing”.
She said: “I have been amazing. It’s incredible, the development in cancer treatment is incredible because 20 years ago the immunotherapy drug that I was on, wasn’t around so people with cancer just died.
“There have been enormous steps. So I had that, I had chemo and I had two surgeries and then I was in radiation, which was grand actually. I was terrified I was going to be all burned because every weird thing that happened to me… I got an infection, I got pneumonia but the radiation was actually grand.”
But, speaking to Miriam O’Callaghan on RTE Radio 1, she admitted she had a “bit of a depressive dip” for a while.
“I think when you finish the main body of cancer treatment, everybody expects you to jump and say ‘okay, I’m fine. Back to normal’. I think your mind chemistry goes ‘no, we’re not going back to normal now. It’s a new normal and you’re going to be depressed for a while’.
“And you have to get over that. I think your evolutionary fight for survival is gone and everything slows down and its massively body chemistry. I had depression for a long time so if you have depression, you’re probably more likely to hit a dip. It’s quite common.” Things are looking good at the moment. You’re having scans forever. It is a life diagnosis I think.”
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