Shane MacGowan's wife, Victoria Mary Clarke, has shared a touching photo of the couple sharing a kiss, along with an emotional update on The Pogues star's health.

MacGowan is best known for penning and performing the ultimate Christmas classic Fairytale of New York, alongside other classics such as Sally MacLennane and Dirty Old Town.

The singer, 65, took to social media last New Year's Eve to issue an update to his fans, where he opened up about his current condition.

Encephalitis is an uncommon but serious condition in which the brain becomes inflamed. It requires urgent hospital treatment and can potentially be life-threatening in certain cases.

Clarke wrote: "Love is the most beautiful and powerful thing that we can experience as humans but love can also feel painful, especially if you are afraid of losing a person or anything else that you love. The really really big challenge that we all face is to go beyond what our minds think are the limits of love and what love really is.

"A lot of the time that thing we call love can more accurately be described as attachment or desire or need or longing or closeness or connection. And all of these are totally valuable and human and we need to acknowledge and appreciate and accept every part of our experience."

"But sometimes when you love very deeply you will find yourself facing terrifying fears of loss that can feel so big and devastating that you don't know how you can survive them and you can't imagine life without this person that you love. It's in these moments when you are staring into the abyss that you have an opportunity to expand your consciousness beyond the limitations of your mind.

"Stay tuned in to love no matter what is happening in your world"

"You have an opportunity to discover more of who you really are and more of who your soul really is and more of your connection with this person who you love," she wrote. "You might alternate between terror and a sense of peace or a feeling of appreciation for what you have in the moment together or grace or gratitude for the love and support that is offered to help you by other people."

"Fear is an unknown place and this is what makes it so frightening, we makeup stories about what is beyond the fear and they are not happy stories. But we can choose to stay present with everything that unfolds and to feel as much as possible in every moment and we can be surprised that there are more moments of beauty and grace and even joy than we ever imagined."

"Stay tuned in to love no matter what is happening in your world and keep inviting all of your angels and guides to support you and know that love is always the best choice! #angels #love #ascension."