A woman who tried to win a competition for UGLY partners was disqualified – because her husband is DEAD.
Widow Andrea Bedlington got through to the final of the ‘Punching Above Your Weight’ contest – saying her late hubby Andrew was much better looking than her.
But when organisers invited the couple in for a chat they realised Andrew had tragically died 18 months ago aged just 41.
They only knew he’d passed away when Andrea turned up with his URN – with his picture on the front.
Disappointed Andrea, 36, was told that ruled her out of the top prize of a romantic holiday.
The mum-of-two, who has struggled to make ends meet since Andrew’s death, said she had only entered the contest as a tribute to him and never expected to get far.
She told her local radio station that organised the contest that she felt he was much better looking than she was.
After hearing her story generous bosses had a change of mind and offered her a consolation holiday for herself and daughters Shannon, 18, and Chloe, 11.
Andrea, of South Shields, Tyne and Wear, said: “I wanted to enter this contest as a tribute to Andrew, but it was actually my oldest daughter’s idea at first.
“She heard it on the radio and said I should enter and I said she was daft.
“I checked the rules on the website and all it said is that the couple had to turn up to the studio together, so we did -I took him along in his um.
“I think they were quite shocked when I turned up.”
Andrew died in October 2013 from an accidental overdose on prescription medication. He was taking morphine to ease the pain of osteoarthritis in his lower back and knees.
Andrea said she thinks he took his daily dose just before going to bed but got distracted by a phone call and forgot and fatally took it a second time.
She said: ”I couldn’t believe it when they said they were sending us on holiday.
“Andrew was the breadwinner. He ran an agency for HGV drivers and things like that and I was a stay at home mum.
“Since he died, I’ve gone back to college to train as an accountant so I can get a job but it would be years before I could save up enough for us to go on holiday together.
“Chloe would be grown up by the time I’d get the money and Shannon will probably be moved out with a family of her own.
“This is going to be our last holiday together as a family, and I’m just so grateful to Metro Radio for everything.”
She added: “Andrew was amazing, and I still can’t actually believe he married me, so I wanted to do this as a tribute to him.
“I wasn’t expecting it to go anywhere or to win, it was just a way of keeping him alive in my memory and keeping him close to me.
“I always keep the urn next to my bed or under my bed so he’s always with me. I used to have it next to me in the bed but it used to roll over and hit me in the back.
“It’s no different to when he was alive though, really. He always snored and would always elbow me in the back in his sleep.”
She added: “I really cant believe we’ve been given this holiday, and we’re excited to get it all booked up.”
Metro Radio’s Karen Wight said: “Andrea is a beautiful woman, an amazing strong person who has given a lot of people inspiration for how she has managed to get herself and her family through such a tough year.”
