Both Sides Now
Laughter, Grief and Everything in Between with Johnnie Walker
Published on 9. June 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-0-00-877006-8 (ISBN)
Description
The story of a national treasure we won't soon forget - by the woman who knew him best.
I mention you've been smoking. 'He mustn't!' she says, alarmed. 'There's so much oxygen in your house he'd explode.' There is a funny side to this - a cartoonish end: Johnnie Walker DJ Explodes!
Just try not to take the house with you.
In Johnnie Walker - Both Sides Now, his devoted wife Tiggy shares the final chapter of their life together: the slow, painful goodbye to the man she adored. She reflects on the soaring highs of Johnnie's legendary Radio 2 career, as they navigate the heartbreak, frustration, and strange intimacy of anticipatory grief.
This is an honest, deeply personal portrait of love and loss - a raw, life-affirming tribute to a remarkable life well-lived. With wit and unflinching clarity, Tiggy lays bare the emotional toll of caring for someone at the end of life, and the impossible task of letting go while still holding on.
Not just for those who loved Johnnie Walker - this is for anyone who's known the tangled, messy grace of caring, grieving and loving, all the way to the final breath.
I mention you've been smoking. 'He mustn't!' she says, alarmed. 'There's so much oxygen in your house he'd explode.' There is a funny side to this - a cartoonish end: Johnnie Walker DJ Explodes!
Just try not to take the house with you.
In Johnnie Walker - Both Sides Now, his devoted wife Tiggy shares the final chapter of their life together: the slow, painful goodbye to the man she adored. She reflects on the soaring highs of Johnnie's legendary Radio 2 career, as they navigate the heartbreak, frustration, and strange intimacy of anticipatory grief.
This is an honest, deeply personal portrait of love and loss - a raw, life-affirming tribute to a remarkable life well-lived. With wit and unflinching clarity, Tiggy lays bare the emotional toll of caring for someone at the end of life, and the impossible task of letting go while still holding on.
Not just for those who loved Johnnie Walker - this is for anyone who's known the tangled, messy grace of caring, grieving and loving, all the way to the final breath.
Reviews / Votes
"An endearing tribute to a remarkable man we'll never hear the like of again." - Peter Kay "A triumph of true love and a loving memoir of one of the best DJ's ever." - Mark Knopfler "The highs and lows of two lives bound together by the most profound love. A truly inspirational story of loving and carding." - Ken Bruce "A beautiful memoir, a beautiful tribute to love. Tiggy writes with wit, searing honesty (of course she does!) and irrepressible spirit about her private love for a man who was known by a nation. Funny, painful, always life affirming, this is a must read." - Rachel Joyce "Honest, unflinching, hilarious, profound and deeply personal, a true love story in every sense. an invitation into the extraordinary life of a broadcasting legend but also the journey his wife, lover, best friend, carer and most important person in that life has been on." - Michael Ball "Beautifully written, searingly honest about the brutal reality of caring for someone you love. Their passion to do everything they could as patrons of Carers UK to make life better for carers shines through in this quite extraordinary story written with raw emotion, humour and love." - Helen Walker, Chief Executive Carers UKMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 128 mm
Width: 199 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
244 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-877006-8 (9780008770068)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
09/2025
HarperCollins
€7.79
Available for download