John Lydon keeps wife's ashes by his bed

John Lydon keeps his wife ashes by the side of his bed.

The 68-year-old punk icon - known as Johnny Rotten during his heyday with the Sex Pistols - nursed his wife Nora Forster through the last years of her life as she battled Alzheimer's disease prior to her death in 2023 and he's now revealed he keeps her ashes by his side at night time so he can feel close to her.

According to the Mirror newspaper, John showed a picture of the urn next to his bed with a bouquet of plastic flowers during the opening night of his UK speaking tour in Brighton on Wednesday (01.05.24). He told the audience: "Forgive me, the flowers are plastic. There is a reason why real flowers rot and that is the saddest vibe in the world.

"Plastic flowers go on forever. She loved colours but she’s going to have to wait for my ashes to join her."

It comes after John admitted he feels "terrifically lonely" without Nora and it's not the same at home in Malibu, California, without her.

He told The Sunday Times newspaper: "I bounce about in the day but the loneliness of Nora not being here kills me."

John went on to reveal his life has totally changed and he can't even bring himself to cook proper meals for himself now he's living alone.

He added: "I used to love cooking for Nora, and now I go for the stupid fatty things. It just seems pointless and selfish to sit here and eat a designer meal that I’ve concocted and can’t share with her."

John also confessed he feels worst during the evenings and drowning his sorrows with booze has not helped. He explained: "At night it’s terrifically lonely. That’s when all the memories keep flooding back and they won’t leave you alone.

"You think you can drown yourself in alcohol, but you can’t. Your body becomes immobile but your brain doesn’t switch off, so booze doesn’t help."