Bob Geldof proposed just days after burying his daughter

Jeanne Marine and Bob Geldof. Photo / Getty Images

Bob Geldof believes "love is all you need".

The Boomtown Rats singer proposed to long-term partner Jeanne Marine shortly after the death of his daughter Peaches in April 2014 and though he initially thought it would be an "inappropriate" thing to do, he quickly realised it was the best for his whole family.

He said: "What happened was the atmosphere was so dark around these events of course, but particularly around Peaches, and the grave loss to her sisters...

"I had bought her an engagement ring, she never hassled me to marry her or anything, I just thought 'I'm very comfortable and happy with this girl for the rest of my life'.

"But I stuck the ring in a drawer, I thought, 'This is wildly inappropriate' but five days after we buried Peaches, we could barely speak with grief and I didn't want the girls going off back to their own homes and wallowing in this, they're too young.

"The atmosphere was so clogged we needed to let some air into the room and some light into the air.

"So, corny as it is - please take it as a wizened old man, John Lennon was right - love is all you need. It may not be enough but it is all you need."

Bob - who also has daughters Fifi and Pixie with late ex-wife Paula Yates and also has custody of his former spouse's daughter Tiger Lily - joked he proposed to Janine because he couldn't think of a better present to give her than himself.

Speaking on BBC Radio 2, he said: "I've been with Jan for 20 years and she was coming up to 50 in a year and I thought, 'What would be the best possible present I could give her?' and I thought 'Me' of course, I'd be the best possible present any woman could receive."

The couple married in France in April 2015.

- Bang! Showbiz