The daughter of My Mum, You Dad contestant Roger Hawes broke down on Wednesday evening as he discussed his ‘resentment to cancer’ after losing his wife to the disease 18-months ago. 

The 58-year old postman, a father-of-three, has signed up to the new ITV1 dating show in a bid to move on following the death of wife Joanna – who ‘fell asleep on the sofa and never woke up’ after finding a melanoma behind her ear. 

And he admitted to harboring a grudge against the illness for taking his wife when she was just 52-years old during a date with Scottish tech advisor Caroline McGirr on Wednesday’s show. 

The new series has come under for allowing the children of its nine contestants an opportunity to watch their parents’ as they go on dates and engage in personal discussions with resident therapists.  

And watching covertly from the show’s surveillance room, daughter Jess, 28, wiped away tears as she admitted Roger rarely discusses the death of her mother. 

Emotional: The daughter of My Mum, You Dad contestant Roger Hawes broke down on Wednesday as he discussed his ‘resentment to cancer’ after losing his wife to the disease

Picking up the pieces: The 58-year old postman, a father-of-three, has signed up to the new ITV1 dating show in a bid to move on following the death of wife Joanna

‘It’s just weird hearing him say it because he doesn’t really talk about it,’ she said. ‘It’s like, everyone sort of knows who they are but they’re missing one piece, whereas his piece has been taken, and he’s lost everything. 

‘She was his hype, man. You know what we’re saying about his confidence and everything? He’s a totally different person. He’s always been confident. He’s always had my mum there telling him, “You’re a good looking man, you’re my man,” type thing, and he’s lost all that.’ 

Jess, a network rail planner from Derbyshire, added: ‘He said to me that he wishes it was him that had died instead of my mum, because he doesn’t think he’s good enough to look after us without her, whereas she could have looked after us without him.

‘We found notes that she’d left us afterwards, and in those notes, that’s where she said, like, “I want you to move on, I want you to find love.”‘ 

Roger captured the hearts of a nation after sharing the heart wrenching story of losing his wife to cancer just 18 months ago. 

He told Caroline: : ‘We were on holiday in Italy and I just looked behind her ear, and it was irritating her – just a little spot behind her ear.

‘I said ”you need to get that checked out when you get back” and she did. She got seen to really quick, and it was melanoma. But she didn’t know that by that time the cancer had gone to her brain.’

Speaking about his late wife on breakfast show Lorraine, he explained she wanted him to find someone new: ‘She was perfect. To send a message and she’s still controlling me… it didn’t surprise me hearing what she said.’

Tragedy: Roger married late wife Joanne (pictured), a critical care nurse, in 1992, but his partner died aged 52

Not ready for love: During an appearance on Lorraine on Tuesday, Roger said: ‘I knew I wasn’t [ready].’ Pictured: Roger with his daughter Jess 

Emotional: Roger left fans in tears after he revealed that he his late wife went to sleep on the sofa and never woke up 

Of his first date in 40 years, he added: ‘I think I was very lucky it was Caroline, she nursed me through it as I was very nervous.’ 

Roger continued: ‘She said ”I’m really tired”, and I said ”come on I’ll put you to bed or do you want to go on settee?”, and she said ”put me on settee”. Then I come in about half an hour later, and obviously, I should have just phoned an ambulance straight away.’ 

Caroline, who was reduced to tears by the story, replied: ‘But you wouldn’t have known.’  

Roger said: ‘She’d had breast cancer about three or four years ago, and she got over that before.’

Roger had admitted he was not yet ready to date when he first joined the show.

The father was nominated to appear on the programme by his daughter Jess, who also features as he bids to find love alongside seven other singletons. 

Sympathy: Caroline (pictured) was reduced to tears on her first date with Roger after he revealed his wife went to sleep on the sofa and never woke up 

Heartbroken: Widower Roger (pictured) left viewers in tears as some said he was not ready for love after the death of his wife 18 months ago

Support: Viewers of Your Mum, My Dad have took to Twitter to share their love for Roger who lost his wife to cancer 

During an appearance on Lorraine on Tuesday, Roger said: ‘I knew I wasn’t [ready]. I loved it and think I get slightly better as it goes on. It was difficult but it wasn’t something I couldn’t pass up.’