Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts ‘heartbroken’ as family member passes away
GIRLS Aloud star Nicola Roberts has been left heartbroken by the death of her "bestest little friend" Ronnie.
The devastated singer took to Instagram to share a beautiful tribute to the adorable Pug after he lost his battle with lymphoma.
She said Ronnie had a tumour removed last year and had been recovering well but his cancer had unfortunately returned.
Sharing snaps of her furry friend, Nicola, 37, wrote: "It’s with a broken heart for my little Prince that I had to say goodbye to my little Ron last week.
"Ronnie was unbelievably poorly with lymphoma that had spread quite aggressively without us knowing.
"He loved life. He’s been a fighter all his life so we really tried to push through with a treatment plan but in the end we couldn’t get control of the disease."
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Nicola became his owner along with another Pug called Reggie 14 years ago, and she said Ron had been a constant comfort in her life.
She added: "He had the cheekiest and funniest personality that was constantly communicating with me. Always chatting to me with his little mind.
"I can only thank the universe that he chose to be by my side for almost 14 years.
"Ronnie Roberts a true fighter, my little soldier and the bestest little friend. He’s now tormenting Reggie again but in heaven. Missing him, my little shadow."
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She named the dogs after the infamous Kray twins who were huge crime figures operating in the East End of London from the late 1950s to 1967.
Ronnie, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, died in 1995 at the age of 61 after suffering a heart attack at Broadmoor Hospital.
Reggie was freed from prison on compassionate grounds by Home Secretary Jack Straw in August 2000 and died of bladder cancer that year aged 66.
