😱 John Alderton’s Heartbreaking Revelation: The Last Moments With His Beloved Pauline 😱

In a deeply moving tribute, veteran British actor John Alderton has opened up about the final moments he shared with his beloved wife, Pauline Collins, who passed away on November 6th at the age of 85.

Collins, renowned for her roles in “Shirley Valentine” and “Upstairs, Downstairs,” left behind a legacy of love and partnership that spanned over five decades.

Alderton described her last moments as peaceful, beautiful, and filled with love, recounting how he held her hand until the very end.

“I told her I loved her as I always did,” he recalled quietly, adding that she looked “absolutely beautiful” in her final moments.

“She squeezed my hand once more, and then she rested. It was peaceful, just like her.”

The couple’s love story began in the late 1960s when they met while starring in the hit ITV period drama “Upstairs, Downstairs.”

Alderton played the charming chauffeur Thomas Watkins, while Collins portrayed the spirited maid Sarah Moffett.

From the very beginning, their on-screen chemistry was palpable, and Alderton noted, “The connection was there from day one.”

He described their relationship as having a unique rhythm and energy that just worked, highlighting Collins’s sharp wit and private nature, which contrasted with his own personality.

Despite being cautious about mixing work and personal life, their friendship blossomed into romance.

“People would stop us on the street and ask if we were married,” Alderton reminisced, recalling how their bond was evident to others even before they realized it themselves.

They began dating in 1969 and married in 1973, with Alderton recalling a simple yet sweet moment when he proposed.

“There wasn’t any big romantic proposal,” he said with a soft smile.

“We were walking by the river, and I said, ‘Why don’t we just do it?’ Pauline laughed and said, ‘Do what?’ And I said, ‘Get married.’ She nodded. That was it.”

Their real-life relationship became as beloved as their on-screen partnership, leading them to star together in the spin-off series “Thomas and Sarah” and the family drama “Forever Green.”

“That show mirrored us in many ways,” Alderton said.

“We both wanted to step back, live simply, and be together without all the fuss.”

Collins, he noted, never cared for fame; instead, she valued truth, people, and the work itself.

Together, they raised three children—Nicholas, Kate, and Richard—as well as Collins’s daughter Louise from a previous relationship.

“Pauline was an extraordinary mother,” Alderton praised, noting her tireless dedication to their family.

“No matter how busy she was, she was always present. She’d finish filming a long day, come home, cook dinner, and still ask everyone how their day went.”

He described Collins as the calm in any storm, stating, “She never let the business change her.”

Her ability to make everyone feel seen, whether it was a makeup artist or a fan, was one of her most admirable traits.

As they grew older, Alderton and Collins gradually withdrew from public appearances, preferring the quiet comforts of home.

“We were happiest when we were away from everything,” he reflected.

“We’d walk by the coast, feed the seagulls, and talk about nothing important. She used to say, ‘Our best nights out are in.’ And she was right.”

When Collins’s health began to decline, Alderton became her primary companion.

“We didn’t talk about illness much,” he shared. “Pauline hated being fussed over.”

Even in the hospital, she would jokingly tell him, “Oh, stop making a scene, John.”

Alderton described their final night together with heartbreaking simplicity.

“We were listening to Billie Holiday. She was tired but peaceful. At one point, she opened her eyes and said, ‘You’ve been a good husband, you know.’”

“I told her, ‘You’ve made it easy for me.’ She smiled. That was the last thing we said.”

Reflecting on their long-lasting marriage, Alderton attributed their success to mutual respect and laughter.

“We grew up together, really,” he said.

“Even when we argued, it never lasted long. Pauline had this one raised eyebrow that meant, ‘Don’t push your luck.’ And that was the end of it.”

Despite their fame, the couple shunned celebrity culture, preferring quiet evenings at home.

“Pauline preferred being home with a glass of wine, playing Scrabble, and laughing at my terrible jokes,” Alderton said, fondly recalling their shared moments.

Collins’s illustrious career spanned over six decades, from early TV appearances to international acclaim for “Shirley Valentine,” which earned her an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA win.

Yet, Alderton noted that success never changed her.

“She used to say, ‘If I ever start believing my own press, give me a shake,’” he recalled, emphasizing her humility.

Her acting was rooted in compassion, he explained, and every role she played came from a place of understanding human beings.

When asked what he hopes people remember about her, Alderton paused for a moment before answering.

“Her kindness,” he said finally, “and her humor. She had such light in her. She could walk into a room and change the atmosphere without even trying.”

Following her passing, the family held a small private service in Sussex, as Collins had wished.

“That’s how she wanted it,” Alderton said. “No fuss, no big sendoff. Just family, laughter, and music.”

As he finds comfort in the home they shared, Alderton notes, “There’s a stillness here now, but it’s not empty.”

“I talk to her all the time,” he added, sharing updates about their children and the garden.

He picked up a framed photograph of them smiling together on a windswept Cornish beach, saying, “That’s how I’ll always remember her—laughing, free, utterly herself.”

With a softening voice, he concluded, “You know, people say you only get one great love in your life. Pauline was mine. She was my home.”