MoneySaving Expert  Martin Lewis appeared to choke up with emotion this week as he made a rare admission about his family. Speaking on This Morning, the 52-year-old opened up about how he handled losing his mother when he was just 11 years old, when she was involved in a horse riding collision with a lorry. The personality was discussing whether or not there's still a 'wicked' stepmother stigma with hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary when he revealed what happened when his dad remarried when he was a teenager.

Dermot stated: "A popular villain in most fairytales, researchers feel that some single mums are so concerned about being tainted with the same brush, it puts them off dating entirely." Martin responded, "My stepmother joined us in 1986, when I was 14. The stereotype wasn't the issue. The issue was, I had a stepmother joining me when I was still in terrible grief of the loss of my mother. There was nothing she could've done that would've made me want her to be there because of the reason she was there and the great difficulties. I remember when she took down some of our family photos."

Martin expressed he now understands how difficult it would've been for his stepmother at the time, although at 14 years old he found it tough. He added: "I get on well with my stepmum now and she's still in my life, I have a wonderful half-sister and it's all fantastic."

The ITV star told Alison and Dermot that often the conversation surrounds the stepparent, with the children being overlooked. Martin continued: "There are children involved and not all about the step-parents are on both sides, we were one family. We were with my dad because we lost my mum. It was very hard for my stepmother, but it was very hard to have a stepmother too, at 14, suffering from post-traumatic stress and grief.

"My stepmother done the best job that she could and we get on very well now but I didn't want her there and I didn't like her being there, I think that's perfectly understandable at the time."

It's not the first time Martin has spoken candidly about his grief and confessed that despite the many years that have passed, it still doesn't get any easier. In September, he said: "It's 40 years since my mum was killed and it's still just as raw 40 years later, it doesn't have to be near, and the one thing I always say because I was in tears on the anniversary this year, is don't feel guilty about feeling happy.

"When people are feeling grief, they have a happy moment, and then they feel guilty, and then they stop themselves. Whenever you have a chance to be happy, even if you're in grief, grab it."

If you're struggling with the loss of a loved one visit Grief Encounter for help and support.