Liz Hurley opens up about the terrible toll Shane Warne's death took on her - and the cricket icon's ties to her son Damian

Elizabeth Hurley has spoken about the emotional toll the death of her former fiancé Shane Warne took on her - and the Australian cricket legend's ties to her son Damian.

The British actress and model, 58, began dating the late cricketer in 2010 before getting engaged a year later, and eventually splitting in 2013.

Warne branded his romance with Hurley as being the 'happiest time of his life' and was upset that things didn't work out.

He was found unresponsive in his villa in Koh Samui on March 4 2022, and was later pronounced dead aged 52 of a suspected heart attack.

Hurley recently starred in her son Damian's directorial debut Strictly Confidential, in which his mother gets steamy with another woman.

Addressing the movie, Hurley explained that her son's filmmaking began in childhood and Shane Warne and his kids appeared in many of his early films.  

Damian's biological father, American businessman Steve Bing, died by suicide in 2020 and Hurley says the losses they have both endured made them closer than ever.

‘We have suffered loss,’ she told The Telegraph. 

‘And interestingly, this movie [Strictly Confidential] sort of pulls on those feelings of loss quite a lot – and in a lot of Damian’s work I do see that. 

'Yes, it’s a bond… It was appalling losing Shane; it was a terrible thing. And it’s a sadness, you know, that stays with you a long time.

‘I know as we get older we’re going to experience more and more loss, but Damian as a young man has experienced probably more than most and I think it does affect you. I think it affects his writing and it does affect him as an artist.’

Warne said of his romance with Hurley in 2018: 'Who knows what the future holds. There's a difference between in love with someone and loving someone. I'll always love Elizabeth but I don't think we'll ever get back together.'

'When we were together we both had a great time. Unfortunately it didn't work out.

'It wasn't something that she or I did wrong, it just fizzled out. We're still great friends, we still stay in touch, we're good for each other and our kids get along great.'

He told the Mirror: 'I was more in love with Elizabeth than I'd realised I could be. I miss the love we had. My years with Elizabeth were the happiest of my life.'

Hurley has maintained a strong relationship with her former fiancee's children and often comments on their social media posts.

Her son Damian also maintains a tight bond with Warne's children, sharing photos on social media of their childhood holidays together and commenting on their posts.