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Sir Tom Jones ‘can’t boil an egg’ so had to hire an assistant after wife’s death

Tom Jones and wife Linda
Tom Jones admitted to struggling without his wife, Linda (Picture: Rex/Getty)

Sir Tom Jones has revealed he had to hire an assistant to help him with day-to-day tasks like cooking following the death of his wife.

The singer, 80, admitted he struggled after his wife Linda, who he had been married to from 1957, died of cancer in 2016.

Sir Tom revealed to Jessie Ware on her Table Manners podcast that he had to hire staff following Linda’s death: ‘I got a man that works for me – Ben. He is my butler-come-assistant and he can cook, he can cook fantastic.’

The Delilah star also revealed he turned to alcohol to cope with missing his beloved wife, nut soon realised that it was not the answer. 

He explained: ‘I started drinking a lot when she died as I thought, “Well, the only way I will get through this is be large.” It doesn’t work. You can’t do that, you gotta be real.’

The couple had been married for almost 50 years and shared son Mark Woodward, but Tom often spoke about being unfaithful with groupies during the height of his career.

Tom Jones needed grief counselling after wife died
Sir Tom has hired staff since losing Linda in 2016 (Picture: Getty)

Sir Tom also spoke about his friendship with Elvis Presley, but said it was a ‘shame’ the 

King of Rock and Roll had put on weight towards the end of his life.

He said of the Jailhouse Rock stat: ‘Think of the most handsome fella you’ve ever met and then he walks in.’

Sir Tom recalled that he and Elvis used to eat burgers at a friend’s suite while touring in Hawaii, and that the legendary entertainer always had a supply of snacks. 

He explained that Elvis was never caught hungry: ‘He used to keep a pizza under his bed just in case he had munchies in the night.’

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