ITV show Loose Women has been praised by a leading provider of direct cremation for airing a frank discussion about funeral choices.
Wednesday’s show featured a lively debate of funeral styles between presenters Jane Moore, Linda Robson, Sophie Morgan and Gloria Hunniford, prompting strong reactions from their audience. Gloria Hunniford came under fire from viewers for her remarks about direct cremation – where there is no funeral, no church, no mourners, officiant, cars or flowers – describing the simple cremation service as a ‘sad way to leave the life you’ve lived’.
Viewers claimed that Ms Hunniford’s ideal funeral, a burial with the lavish coffin, lots of flowers, and all her friends and family in attendance, showed that the presenter was ‘out of touch’ with real people’s lives.
But Catherine Powell, co-founder and director of Pure Cremation, the UK’s first dedicated provider of direct cremation, praised the panel for highlighting this important subject on the show.
“While Jane Moore said this was a new concept to her, she gave a really good description of what’s involved and quickly grasped the key advantages, urging her children to give her a direct cremation and use the money saved for a party for her nearest and dearest to ‘have a laugh’.
“This is something our pre-paid plan customers say to us time and time again. They want a low cost, respectful direct cremation so their family has time to organise the bit that they value most – a personal farewell event at a place, date and time to suit them, with everyone who matters.”
“It’s great that Gloria Hunniford knows what she wants and has shared those wishes with her family. This is one of the most significant conversations you will ever have with your nearest and dearest, and by covering the costs of your ideal send-off, you’ve creating a priceless parting gift for the people you care about.
“Even before the current cost-of-living crisis many families have been forced to take on debt to cover the cost of a relative’s funeral, so the financial shock of an unexpected bill for thousands of pounds could be the last straw. Every responsible parent should ensure they either have savings, insurance or a pre-paid funeral plan in place now.”
Catherine also welcomed the show highlighting the fact that pre-paid funeral plans have been regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority since July 2022. She concluded “This regulation gives new protections to pre-paid plan holders to ensure their plan will deliver the service they’ve paid for, whether that’s 2, 10 or 20 years from now.”
