This week I want to chat with you about someone who has supported me and been my rock for many years.

A lady who is always in the background and never seeks the limelight herself. My wonderful wife Val.

I have received many awards and recognition over the years for the charity and community work I have done but in this week’s column I’d like to shine a light on the lady who has made all that possible.

As the ‘front man’, people only see me and assume it’s all my own doing but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

My Val has guided, supported and encouraged me in all my pursuits.

She deserves every recognition for what she’s done for me and in turn for the community.

They say that behind every good man is a great woman, and God knows that I do try my best to be a good man but for Val, she is naturally without any effort at all a great woman.

Val has accompanied me to virtually every performance I’ve ever done, helping me set up my PA equipment, sound check, putting up with my odd one or two ‘artistic tantrums’, organised countless events, designed posters and adverts, acted as roadie, manager, secretary, general dogs body the list is endless.

To add to all that, she is also an amazing loving wife and mother to our sons and she runs a caring, loving and supportive family home.

In fact I never submit my column to the Messenger without having Val throw her eyes over it first, so we can add proof reader to her list of jobs too.

So although I am the one stood on stage performing, it is only because I have my Val doing all the ground work beforehand.

Once everything is set up and organised I am a hundred percent confident that she has prepared everything for me to take the stage relaxed and ready to sing.

On top of all this she also works during the day for our NHS. Something you may not know about Val is that she has raised thousands of pounds herself for charity by creating lovely personalised, printed ribbon banners and lapel ribbons.

She has supported countless events such as the NHS, Kym Marsh’s Archie’s Footprint Ball and Denise Welch’s Magic Castle Ball to name just a few.

She doesn’t make any fuss about it, she just gets on and does it.

Like I say she doesn’t seek the limelight.

So this week I’d like to publicly thank my Val for all she does for me personally, allowing me to pursue my charitable and community endeavours, for all she does herself for charity and for being an amazingly supportive wife who goes above and beyond what is expected from a partner.

She’s going to hate me telling you all about everything she does behind the scenes but I believe in giving credit where credit is due. Thank-you Val.

See you all next week.