A man was electrocuted in a hotel shower in Paris after a night out at a Robbie Williams concert.
Steve Jupp, 40, died despite efforts to save him by his partner Jayne Saxby and French paramedics.
It is not yet known how the tragic accident happened but an investigation has been launched.
Mr Jupp, from Newhaven, had taken Ms Saxby, 44, to the concert at Parc Des Princes in the French capital.
They had enjoyed a "brilliant" night together at the Robbie Williams' show, arriving back at the hotel in the early hours. Ms Saxby said her partner had been "really happy".
They had a lie-in on Sunday morning before looking forward to a day of sightseeing.
But at about 11.15am, as the couple got ready to go out, Ms Saxby heard Mr Jupp scream from the bathroom.
Ms Saxby, of Portview, South Heighton near Newhaven, said: "We were both getting ready for the day. We were going to see the Eiffel Tower. I was in the bedroom when I heard Steve shout out.
"I went into the bathroom and he had been electrocuted in the shower. He was still alive and I tried to resuscitate him.
"I just feel lost, I still can't quite believe it. When I drive along the road, if I see a white van I think it's going to be him but it's not."
Ms Saxby rushed to the hotel reception to call for help. Paramedics tried to resuscitate Mr Jupp while she sat on the floor outside their hotel room.
She said: "I let them work on him but the language barrier was difficult. I didn't really know what was going on. I was very upset."
Ms Saxby flew home after being told that Mr Jupp had died. She was met at London City Airport by her sister the same night, Sunday, June 18. The family is now trying to come to terms with what happened.
The Brighton coroner is investigating the death as an initial post-mortem examination proved inconclusive.
Mr Jupp, a painter and decorater for Lancing firm Southern Property Maintenance, was a family man with five children, Annie, 18, Emma, 16, Katherine, 14, Harry, ten and Olivia, eight. He was close to his three stepchildren, Stacey, 22, Hayley, 19, and Becky, 16, and has two step-grandchildren, Stacey's daughters Emily who is two-and-a-half and Ruby, nine months.
He also leaves behind a sister, Caroline in Hove, and parents who have flown over from their home in Spain for the funeral.
He was fanatical about Chelsea FC and the family have started a collection to raise money for a memorial plaque at the Stamford Bridge football ground, where they hope his ashes will be scattered.
Ms Saxby, who had been with Mr Jupp for eight years, said: "With Steve, we always used to joke that Chelsea was his first love and I was his second." .
Ms Saxby said he was a clever man who loved Regency architecture and cooking. She said: "He was a passionate Englishman, through and through. His van was covered in flags and ribbons for the World Cup.
"He had a very dry sense of humour, a lot of people didn't know quite how to take him but he was a great thinker."
His best friend, Malcolm Streeter, who will carry his coffin at the funeral, said: "He was a good mate and is dearly missed, that's all you can say." The funeral takes place at Woodvale Crematorium, North Chapel, Brighton at 12.45pm on Friday July 14.
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