Sky Sports' Simon Thomas is set to depart his role with the broadcaster at the end of the current football season.
Having suffered the tragic loss of his wife earlier this year, Thomas has been remarkably frank about the struggles he has faced thereafter.
Writing in his online blog, A Grief Shared, Thomas outlined his decision to depart Sky Sports after thirteen years with the station.
Everything changes . . . . . . . . . . for now! https://t.co/spgi7iiSS2 pic.twitter.com/NtBvPLd9Aw
— Simon Thomas (@SimonThomasTV) April 27, 2018
Thomas outlined how his late wife Gemma had been such a constant presence throughout his time with the broadcaster, and, how he subsequently decided "to leave Sky at the end of the season."
Discussing the pressures associated with the role, Thomas outlined how his domestic situation has now demanded that a change be made:
This is why: firstly and most importantly, I’m doing it for Ethan. On that first morning after Gemma went, I remember Ethan coming up to me in the lounge and through his tears he said these words: “Daddy, you know every weekend you go away and do the football, and I spend the weekend with Mummy? What do I do now?” And they have stuck with me ever since. More often than not, the first worry a child expresses after going through something like this is the most significant. It’s the one playing on their mind the most and for the last five months it is a question I have had to wrestle with. How is it going to work? How’s it going to work this summer? Two weeks after he breaks up for his school holidays, the season will be starting to roll into action. What do I do with him then? All the other summer holidays it wasn’t a problem: he spent it with his mum and when I wasn’t working, I joined them. But this is no longer an option.
Outlining his plans for the future, Thomas intends to turn to writing as a means of further expressing his grief, and how he has approached it:
So for now, this is it. A wonderful, unforgettable thirteen years comes to an end in a way I could never have foreseen or ever wanted. But what now? Over the next few months I’m going to be writing a book, and I also want to explore some other broadcasting opportunities. Broadcasting is all I’ve known for the past twenty years, I love it and am not turning my back on it. I also want to plough more time into raising awareness and money for Bloodwise UK. Blood cancer took my wife; I have to do something. But most importantly, I’m going to be giving every ounce of energy I have to helping my boy navigate this strange new chapter of life and as a Christian, I have to trust God in this. This is not blind faith, this is real faith – and sometimes, that means stepping out into the unknown.
You can read the entirety of Thomas' post here.
