Shane MacGowan's widow, Victoria Mary Clarke, has revealed the grief is 'not as bad' as she expected.
In the early hours of November 30, The Pogues frontman passed away 'peacefully' at the age of 65 – just weeks before his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.
In an interview with Good Morning Britain, Victoria – who married the singer in 2018 – said she had been worried about Shane's death for decades.
But now that the unfortunate time has come, the 57-year-old explains that the outpouring of love and support she has received has helped her stay afloat.
“I worried about losing Shane for many years, probably at least 35 years, because he pushed so many boundaries with what people can do with their bodies,” she said.
Shane MacGowan's wife Victoria told Good Morning Britain on Tuesday that the grief “isn't as bad” as she expected following the Pogues frontman's death on Thursday.
Victoria has said she feared losing her husband for 35 years and thought she would die herself if the worst happened – pictured together in 2007
'I was afraid of that. I thought I was going to fall apart. I thought I was going to die, I thought I wouldn't be able to talk anymore, I would fall into a coma or I would go on drugs, something like that.'
She went on to say that she was “overwhelmed by the amount of love” she received after her husband's death.
“I want you all to know that it (losing a loved one) isn't as bad as you think it will be and that there is a tremendous amount of love that comes your way when you lose someone you didn't really expect.”
Good Morning Britain presenters Susanna Reid and Ed Balls expressed their admiration for the widow for her positivity following the tragedy.
They also said they would like to see The Pogues' iconic Christmas hit, Fairytale Of New York, finally reach the number one spot.
Released in 1988, the song peaked at number two and never reached the top spot on the charts, even though it was regularly praised in polls as the best Christmas song ever written.
This comes after fans started a campaign to get the festive single to number one following Shane's death – a feat that could earn the band £500,000 in royalties.
The Pogues frontman died 'peacefully' in the early hours of November 30 (photo: Victoria and Shane in 2023)
The journalist admitted she was 'overwhelmed' by the amount of love and support she has received following her husband's death and that it has helped her cope (Picture: Victoria and Shane)
Good Morning Britain presenters Ed Balls and Susanna Reid (pictured) praised the widow, adding that they would like to see The Pogues' Christmas hit finally reach number one after three decades.
After being a fixture on the radio for more than thirty years, the song is the bookmakers' favorite to win the coveted title.
The track is currently behind other festive classics such as Wham!'s Last Christmas and Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You.
Although fans and famous faces such as Piers Morgan are keen to see the song top the charts, Victoria explained that her husband 'wouldn't mind too much' about the singles' placement.
'I don't know if it was ever that important to him. He really appreciated that so many people love it and that it means so much to so many people. Being number one does not necessarily mean that you are appreciated.'
The journalist also revealed that she initially found the hit 'a bit cheesy' but now loves the festive track.
The Celtic punk rocker had been treated in hospital since June this year and had returned home shortly before his death.
Victoria revealed they spent his last months 'happy' and enjoying the quiet life.
“We've been watching The Crown at home for most of the last few years. We were happy. That's what we wanted,” she said
Although fans and famous faces – such as Piers Morgan – have started a campaign to get The Pogues' single Fairytale Of New York to number one, his wife revealed that Shane 'wouldn't mind' (Picture: Kirsty MacColl and Shane MacGowan in 1988)
Victoria said the couple enjoyed a 'quiet life' during the Pogues singer's final years, often watching The Crown (pictured in 2022)