Sunday, 27 December 2009

Wendy Richard's widower: Natalie Cassidy is not my lover

John Burns thinks of his wife's former co-star as his daughter

Natalie Cassidy with John Burns, the husband of Wendy Richard

John Burns is still getting over the death of wife Wendy Richard, who died in February.

It's bad enough coping with the grief but he's also had to dismiss rumours he's having a relationship with Wendy's EastEnders co-star and close friend Natalie Cassidy, 26.

‘The insinuations were ridiculous. It made me very angry but I was more angry for Nat than anything,' he says.

‘She was just helping out, being a good friend. People were saying these terrible things about us - but behind the scenes she was helping me more than anyone knew. The last year has been dreadful, the worst ever in my life.'

John, 45, is grateful to Natalie for lending him £20,000 to help pay for Wendy's funeral because he didn't have full access to the cash he needed so soon after his wife's death.

‘The truth is, I overspent for the funeral,' he tells the Mail On Sunday. ' I had about £18,000 in the bank but the whole thing cost about £35,000. Because Wendy's accounts went into probate, I couldn't use my cards.

'I phoned Natalie and within a few minutes I was able to borrow £20,000. Within five minutes,the money was in my bank. There aren't many people you could do that with.

'She's such a helpful person, a lovely, lovely kid and so clever beyond her years. Nat was like a daughter to Wendy and she's like a daughter to me.'

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