Gloria Hunniford reveals she threw a 60th birthday party for her late daughter Caron Keating

Gloria Hunniford has revealed that she celebrated her late daughter Caron Keating’s 60th birthday with a party earlier this month.

The presenter, 82, shared how she hosted a ‘blast of a dinner’ for those who adored the late Blue Peter star, including her sons Charlie and Gabriel, 28 and 25.

Caron was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 34 and died in 2004 at age 41, after a seven-year battle.

Gloria told the mirror of the 15-member event: ‘It was a wonderful day filled with every kind of feeling you can imagine. She would have loved it.’

She related how those in attendance met at Caron’s grave in Hever, Kent, in the evening before going to a local pub.

She said, “It’s pretty dark at 7:30, so everyone had a candle or torch with them. I said, “Look, I’ve arranged all the food and everything, you just have to show up and bring flowers and balloons,” and they did.

‘[Caron] I used to dance across the center of the table and I have a very strong memory of that. You have to celebrate these occasions… celebrate life and mourn it.”

Tragic: The presenter, 82, shared how she threw a ‘dinner blast’ for those who loved the late Blue Peter star, including her sons Charlie and Gabriel, 28 and 25

Gloria held back her tears when she spoke about her late daughter Caron in Loose Women in 2021.

She discussed how she’s trying to “keep her alive” on her birthday and other milestones for the sake of Caron’s sons Charlie and Gabriel.

While discussing how to deal with milestones in your life after losing a loved one, Gloria said: “The first [milestone] is painful.

“When we lost Caron—and her birthday was just last week—I was determined in my own head that her children, Charlie and Gabriel, would celebrate occasions like Mother’s Day, like Christmas, like her birthday.

Horrible: Caron was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 34 and died in 2004 at age 41 after a seven-year battle

“But on the date of her death, I try to keep it pretty light-hearted.”

She went on to explain how balloons left over from her 80th birthday helped celebrate the special occasion.

She said, “The ’80s’ balloon was really big, so I thought I’d let them go for Caron.

“So when the boys got there, we said ‘let’s send these to mommy’ – we cut them loose and they went so high because they were filled with helium.

Special: She said of the 15-part event: “It was a wonderful day filled with every kind of feeling you can imagine. She would have loved it’

“So we’re having fun times – we know we’re tying balloons to the tombstone, firing rockets with little messages in them…”

She added: “I always think of the expression ‘people never die if they live on the lips on the living’.

“And that’s why I always like to talk about Caron to keep her alive in the spirit and for her two boys.

Family: Caron died in April 2004 at the age of 41 after being diagnosed with breast cancer

“It’s very important to me that they learn — because they’re in their twenties now and I think for parents, grandparents in my case, you need to remind them to think about this time.”

Caron was a TV host who joined the Blue Peter team in the 1980s.

Gloria founded the Caron Keating Foundation after the death of her daughter.

She has previously discussed how Caron’s positive attitude had helped her loved ones cope with the devastating diagnosis.

Gloria said, “Caron never spoke of losing her battle – she only spoke of life. Her whole attitude towards cancer was positivity. We all responded to that and she became the teacher.’

She kept saying that at times she almost felt like “nothing was wrong” because their lives were filled with so much fun.

Statistics show that only 4% of the 55,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are under the age of 40.

Sad: Gloria held back tears as she spoke about her late daughter Caron on Loose Women in 2021