Heartbroken Ulrika Jonsson says she is 'bereft' as she shares sudden family death after overcoming cancer battle

Ulrika Jonsson has shared her heartbreak after her beloved dog died on Friday.

The Swedish presenter, 56, shared the devastating news on an Instagram story, penning a loving tribute to her companion of seven years.

Her pooch, named Leo, had battled leukaemia, and two years ago needed surgery where he ended up having six teeth removed.  

'We had to say goodbye to my beloved Leo today' she told her followers adding: 'I'm bereft. Smackerjacks over man, 3/05/17 - 12/07/24.'

The star has lost three bulldogs in the last five years and also owns Hank Winston Monet. The cause of Leo's death is not yet known.

Ulrika Jonsson has revealed she is heartbroken after her dog Leo died on Friday sharing  the devastating news on Instagram, penning a tribute to her companion of seven years

Ulrika Jonsson has revealed she is heartbroken after her dog Leo died on Friday sharing  the devastating news on Instagram, penning a tribute to her companion of seven years

 

'We had to say goodbye to my beloved Leo today' she told her followers adding: 'I'm bereft. Smackerjacks over man, 3/05/17 - 12/07/24'

'We had to say goodbye to my beloved Leo today' she told her followers adding: 'I'm bereft. Smackerjacks over man, 3/05/17 - 12/07/24'

She has fostered and adopted dogs all her life and said that she will continue to do so again and continue to support the Edward foundation a charity dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of 'English' 'British' 'PureBred' Bulldogs.

Leo was diagnosed with cancer when he was just three and at the time the star shared some facts about her dog, revealing that his diagnosis was similar to her late dog Dexter who died at the age of four in 2017. 

Leo had his own Instagram account with over a 1000 fans, with the proud star regularly sharing snaps of her pooch. 

The presenter's latest heartbreak comes after she declared that she is proud of her lads' mag photoshoots from her younger years, defending them against criticism that they were sexist.

The former Gladiators host appeared on the covers of a slew of the biggest magazines, such as FHM, Loaded, Nuts and Zoo - known for their scantily clad female celebrity cover stars -  back in their heyday in the 90s.

But the popularity of the controversial publications soon waned, as they drew backlash for objectifying young women for the purpose of male gratification, and circulation dropped rapidly, causing the majority to shutdown.

But Ulrika has now insisted that she 'loved' doing the sexy photoshoots and claimed that she and her fellow cover stars 'did it almost as a right of passage'.

Writing in The Sun, she said that looking back on the covers gives her 'a sense of pride and fun and, moreover, control.'

Her pooch, named Leo, had been battling leukaemia, and two years ago needed surgery where he ended up having six teeth removed

Her pooch, named Leo, had been battling leukaemia, and two years ago needed surgery where he ended up having six teeth removed

The TV star has fostered and adopted dogs all her life and said that she will continue to do so andsupport the Edward foundation a charity dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of 'English' 'British' 'PureBred' Bulldogs

The TV star has fostered and adopted dogs all her life and said that she will continue to do so andsupport the Edward foundation a charity dedicated to the rescue and rehoming of 'English' 'British' 'PureBred' Bulldogs

The star has lost three bulldogs in the last five years and revealed that Leo's diagnosis was similar to her late dog Dexter who died at the age of four in 2017

The star has lost three bulldogs in the last five years and revealed that Leo's diagnosis was similar to her late dog Dexter who died at the age of four in 2017

Leo had his own Instagram account with over a 1000 fans, with the proud star regularly sharing snaps of her pooch

Leo had his own Instagram account with over a 1000 fans, with the proud star regularly sharing snaps of her pooch

It comes after Ulrika insisted that she 'loved' doing sexy photoshoots and claimed that she and her fellow cover stars 'did it almost as a right of passage' (pictured in 1996)

It comes after Ulrika insisted that she 'loved' doing sexy photoshoots and claimed that she and her fellow cover stars 'did it almost as a right of passage' (pictured in 1996) 

Writing in The Sun, she said that looking back on the covers gives her 'a sense of pride and fun and, moreover, control'

Writing in The Sun, she said that looking back on the covers gives her 'a sense of pride and fun and, moreover, control' 

She said that the shoots were like jobs, but that instead of getting paid they got coverage, calling it a 'win win'.

Ulrika added that she had always had 'reputable photographers' that never made her feel uncomfortable.

She wrote: ''I loved it because I felt completely in control, I didn’t feel compromised in any way. I was able to express a different version of myself. It was fun, cheeky, titillating.'

In response to those who criticised the covers as 'misogynistic and ­objectifying' and 'purely for the gratification of men', Ulrika said that she disagreed.