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Scottish Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I prepared myself to die and I'm poorer than ever says EastEnders' Samantha Womack as she reveals how cancer changed her
Sam had not found a lump, nor had a mammogram, but was instead guided by her intuition that something wasn't quite right BRAVE STAR I prepared myself to die and I'm poorer than ever says EastEnders' Samantha Womack as she reveals how cancer changed her IN August 2022, after going off a 'gut feeling' while starring in a West End play and getting checked, Samantha Womack was diagnosed with breast cancer, aged 49. And the star - known to millions for playing Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders - had a long road ahead, one where she didn't know what her end destination would be, and so, in a heartbreaking move, she prepared for the disease killing her. Advertisement 8 Samantha Womack was 49 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 Credit: PA 8 The star is known to millions for playing Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders Credit: BBC 8 Samantha pictured right on Loose Women with her on-screen sister Rita Simons Credit: Rex Features 'You obviously never want to lose your life, but cancer forces you to look into that cupboard,' Samantha told The Sun, continuing: 'I started preparing for that from the beginning, because you do realise you could be close to possibly having that final moment. "I started preparing for the 'what's going to happen if I've only got six months.' Advertisement 'But actually, once you've looked in that cupboard, it's not as scary as you think, I felt like, 'OK, that cupboard is there, and I don't know when it's going to be fully open'.' The EastEnders star was told it was a Grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma - one that tends to grow and spread more quickly than lower-grade cancers - and she'd neither found a lump, nor had a mammogram, but was instead guided by her intuition that something wasn't quite right. It was over the next gruelling few months that Samantha would undergo the arduous task of having chemotherapy, and undergoing a lumpectomy, to try and remove the cancer - a time which the star describes as 'frightening.' Samantha made her EastEnders debut on July 24, 2007, slipping into the skin of Ronnie Mitchell, a cousin of Walford tough man Phil. Less than a decade later, Ronnie and on-screen sister Roxy Mitchell - played by Rita Simons - were given the chop. She then moved into theatre, and it was one evening after a show that Samantha went for dinner with Grease superstar Oliva Newton-John, who battled breast cancer for three decades. Advertisement Little did Samantha know at the time, but Olivia's tragic death from the disease in 2022 would spur her on to announce her own breast cancer to her large fan base. Sharing a picture of herself with the actress, who passed away at the age of 73, Samantha wrote: 'This was the most magical of evenings. Olivia and Chloe had come to see Grease in London and we had dinner together afterwards. I was so excited and in awe, she was my childhood.' Sam added: 'I now start my own battle with this disease and am left feeling deeply moved.' EastEnders' Samantha Womack reveals she broke down in tears as she returned to stage after breast cancer surgery Samantha had gone to get checked while working, and she quickly got a diagnosis of a gremlin shadow, eventually diagnosed as breast cancer. 'If I hadn't gone to follow that instinct at that time, my life, well, I don't even know if I could have my life now. That's the reality,' she tells us. Advertisement Samantha continued: 'My diagnosis and my treatment would have just been so, so much harder, because it had already started to travel to my lymph nodes. Early diagnosis is absolutely life changing.' Then came the next challenge of breaking the news to her family. The star spoke about how she told them, including her two children Benjamin and Lili-Rose, saying her initial response was to 'protect' her kids from the news. What are the signs of breast cancer? BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. The majority of women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer. If it's treated early enough, breast cancer can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the body. Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue. Most breast lumps aren't cancerous, but it's always best to have them checked by your doctor. You should also speak to your GP if you notice any of the following: a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts discharge from either of your nipples (which may be streaked with blood) a lump or swelling in either of your armpits dimpling on the skin of your breasts a rash on or around your nipple a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast Source: NHS 'I think it's a very female thing to do, and you want to be like a 'good cancer girl,' Samantha added. Currently, the star lives in Spain after making the move there with her Emmerdale star partner, Oliver Farnworth. Advertisement Samantha continued: 'Ollie, my partner, is very gentle, so he doesn't force any kind of conversation or whatever. I mean, his way of taking care of it was just constantly coming in and trying to make nice things to eat and we'd go for a walk up the mountain every day, which was really hard after chemo, but then every day you go a little bit further, and a little bit further. You obviously never want to lose your life, but cancer forces you to look into that cupboard Samantha Womack 'I was just so lucky to have that experience. I think I would really struggle in a city. A lot of the women that I speak to who now go on retreats after cancer or during cancer treatment say being around nature feels very healing.' Over the next few months, the brave star underwent treatment, and she described to us what that was like, grimacing while recalling 'red devil chemo' which is given that name due to its bright red appearance. Recalling that time of her life, Samantha said: 'Interestingly, the radiotherapy, I was OK with. I didn't react too badly to that. The chemotherapy that I had, I found frightening, but mainly because I was dovetailing between private healthcare. 'I wasn't insured. I cancelled my insurance during Covid. I knew I had a high grade three cancer, which means it was aggressive. So I had some savings, not a lot, but I just knew that the most important thing was to get it out ASAP, which actually I'm really glad I did because it had started to go to the lymph nodes. Advertisement 'Then I went back to the NHS because they're brilliant at cancer care, and I was treated at the Royal Marsden. But, I think for me I was the most scared then because I didn't know what was coming. 'I feared the feeling of being out of control, and red devil chemo in particular felt really frightening because they needed to sign it off and two nurses needed to administer it because it's highly toxic. 'And when you watch that colour come out of a box and see two women with masks putting it in, it does feel really frightening. 'Some people decide to go traditional with treatment, some people don't. The point is that you have as much information as you can, because then you get to tailor your treatment and your whole experience of cancer, which honestly now I wouldn't change. I wouldn't change it because I'm calmer and, I think, slightly more connected to myself than I ever have been before.' After around six months, Samantha was told she was cancer-free - a term the star says she finds 'strange.' Advertisement 'I'll say I'm cancer-free as of right now, but I also know that, statistically, if you've had cancer there's probably a slightly greater risk that you'll get it again compared to somebody that hasn't had it,' she said. And cancer most definitely changed the star's outlook in so many different ways. Samantha tells us she's become more pragmatic, won't suffer fools, and is trusting and listening to herself a lot more than she once did. I feared the feeling of being out of control, and red devil chemo in particular felt really frightening Samantha Womack She said: 'I've definitely changed as a human. If I feel like I need a break, or feel like I need a check up, or if I'm actually really not comfortable with a job or I'm uncomfortable with a group of people, I just trust my voice in my head so much more than I ever did. 'If I feel like something is wrong, not just health-wise, just anything, if I feel like something's not a good fit for me, I'm far more confident now to be able to say, 'Do you know what? I just don't think this is for me. And that's because my perception has shifted.' Advertisement Samantha's shift in perception has also altered the way she views her finances, with the star admitting to having 'far less money than she ever had,' but for good reason. She explained: 'My biggest paranoia and, not even paranoia, my biggest anxiety was about financial stability because I didn't have it growing up. I had a precarious start in life and I craved that financial security that would keep me physically safe. 'I'd be in a house, and I'd control my environment. And I think work became attached to that for me, it became about financial security. and I think what's happened since the diagnosis is I'm in no better position financially than I was. I'm still a jobbing actor. I still, if I've got paid for one good job, it could be up to a year before I want to take another job or get offered another job. 'So I'm actually turning down more work now than I ever have, and I have far less money than I've ever had, but it's a weird thing for me because normally, as my bank balances disappears, that anxiety would normally keep me awake at night, and I still worry about it, but it doesn't take over my entire body because I know I'm safe. 'I'm safe because I have me, I have my brain, I have my body, and I have my health. Don't be distracted with all the other kinds of sparkly bits of life. If you've got a concern, if you've got any niggling worries, there are places you can go to get checked.' Advertisement On the topic of getting checked, Samantha is trying to educate women about the importance of knowing their breast density, for a Genesis Care campaign named 'Keep Abreast of your Breast Density.' While mammograms are a great screening tool for many women, for those with dense breasts it is harder to spot anything out of the ordinary, and cancer can be missed. Dense breast tissue is found in approximately half of women who are aged forty or above and worryingly, women with extremely dense breasts are six times more likely to get breast cancer than those with fatty breasts. Discussing her mission to educate, Samantha explained: 'We often think of breast cancer as something that happens to women after menopause, and that's dictated by the NHS calling us in for mammograms after the age of 50. 'But obviously we know now that cancer is now far more prevalent in all ages and breast cancer numbers are through the roof. What I love about the campaign is, as I've understood through my own journey, information is power.' Advertisement She praised the younger women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer for speaking out on social media, from Jessie J to EastEnders star Kara Tointon. 'Genesis Care is doing this amazing thing, where they are informing women about what dense breasts are following their mammogram, which I'd never heard of. I did loads of reading, loads of treatments, but no one had ever told me to test my breast density. And the statistics are really important. If you're D category and extremely dense, you're six times more likely to get cancer. We know now that cancer is now far more prevalent in all ages and breast cancer numbers are through the roof Samantha Womack 'To get checked is probably the same price as you taking your car for an MOT, or a weekend away or, you know, and even if you're low income, you could save up for a year and hopefully try and get enough.' GenesisCare has also launched a new screening service where patients who have dense breast tissue can benefit from a rapid breast MRI scan for early detection of cancer. These scans, which aren't widely available as standard screening unless you have a very high risk of breast cancer, are now available privately at GenesisCare centres in Oxford and Windsor. 8 Samantha's shift in perception has also altered the way she views her finances Credit: BBC Advertisement 8 Sam with Emmerdale partner Oliver Farnworth 8 Samantha said her initial response was to 'protect' her kids from the news Credit: INSTAGRAM 8 Samantha is trying to educate women about their breast density for a Genesis Care campaign Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I prepared myself to die and I'm poorer than ever says EastEnders' Samantha Womack as she reveals how cancer changed her
IN August 2022, after going off a 'gut feeling' while starring in a West End play and getting checked, Samantha Womack was diagnosed with breast cancer, aged 49. And the star - known to millions for playing Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders - had a long road ahead, one where she didn't know what her end destination would be, and so, in a heartbreaking move, she prepared for the disease killing her. Advertisement 8 Samantha Womack was 49 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 Credit: PA 8 The star is known to millions for playing Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders Credit: BBC 8 Samantha pictured right on Loose Women with her on-screen sister Rita Simons Credit: Rex Features 'You obviously never want to lose your life, but cancer forces you to look into that cupboard,' Samantha told The Sun, continuing: 'I started preparing for that from the beginning, because you do realise you could be close to possibly having that final moment. "I started preparing for the 'what's going to happen if I've only got six months.' Advertisement 'But actually, once you've looked in that cupboard, it's not as scary as you think, I felt like, 'OK, that cupboard is there, and I don't know when it's going to be fully open'.' The EastEnders star was told it was a Grade 3 invasive ductal carcinoma - one that tends to grow and spread more quickly than lower-grade cancers - and she'd neither found a lump, nor had a mammogram, but was instead It was over the next gruelling few months that She then moved into theatre , and it was one evening after a show that Samantha went for dinner with Grease superstar Oliva Newton-John, who battled breast cancer for three decades. Advertisement Little did Samantha know at the time, but Olivia's tragic death from the disease in 2022 would Sharing a picture of herself with the actress, who passed away at the age of 73, Chloe had come to see Grease in London and we had dinner together afterwards. I was so excited and in awe, she was my childhood.' Sam added: 'I now start my own battle with this disease and am left feeling deeply moved.' EastEnders' Samantha Womack reveals she broke down in tears as she returned to stage after breast cancer surgery Samantha had gone to get checked while working, and she quickly got a diagnosis of a gremlin shadow, eventually diagnosed as breast cancer. 'If I hadn't gone to follow that instinct at that time, my life, well, I don't even know if I could have my life now. That's the reality,' she tells us. Advertisement Samantha continued: 'My diagnosis and my treatment would have just been so, so much harder, because it had already started to travel to my lymph nodes. Early diagnosis is absolutely life changing.' Then came the next challenge of breaking the news to her family. The star spoke about how she told them, including her two children Benjamin and Lili-Rose, saying her initial response was to 'protect' her kids from the news. What are the signs of breast cancer? BREAST cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. The majority of women who get it are over 50, but younger women and, in rare cases, men can also get breast cancer. If it's treated early enough, breast cancer can be prevented from spreading to other parts of the body. Breast cancer can have a number of symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue. Most breast lumps aren't cancerous, but it's always best to have them checked by your doctor. You should also speak to your GP if you notice any of the following: a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts discharge from either of your nipples (which may be streaked with blood) a lump or swelling in either of your armpits dimpling on the skin of your breasts a rash on or around your nipple a change in the appearance of your nipple, such as becoming sunken into your breast Source: NHS 'I think it's a very female thing to do, and you want to be like a 'good cancer girl,' Samantha added. Currently, the star lives in Spain after making the move there with her Emmerdale star partner, Oliver Farnworth. Advertisement Samantha continued: 'Ollie, my partner, is very gentle, so he doesn't force any kind of conversation or whatever. I mean, his way of taking care of it was just constantly coming in and trying to make nice things to eat and we'd go for a walk up the mountain every day, which was really hard after chemo, but then every day you go a little bit further, and a little bit further. You obviously never want to lose your life, but cancer forces you to look into that cupboard Samantha Womack 'I was just so lucky to have that experience. I think I would really struggle in a city. A lot of the women that I speak to who now go on retreats after cancer or during cancer treatment say being around nature feels very healing.' Over the next few months, the brave star underwent treatment, and she described to us what that was like, grimacing while recalling 'red devil chemo' which is given that name due to its bright red appearance. Recalling that time of her life, Samantha said: 'Interestingly, the radiotherapy, I was OK with. I didn't react too badly to that. The chemotherapy that I had, I found frightening, but mainly because I was dovetailing between private healthcare. 'I wasn't insured. I cancelled my insurance during Covid. I knew I had a high grade three cancer, which means it was aggressive. So I had some savings, not a lot, but I just knew that the most important thing was to get it out ASAP, which actually I'm really glad I did because it had started to go to the lymph nodes. Advertisement 'Then I went back to the NHS because they're brilliant at cancer care, and I was treated at the Royal Marsden. But, I think for me I was the most scared then because I didn't know what was coming. 'I feared the feeling of being out of control, and red devil chemo in particular felt really frightening because they needed to sign it off and two nurses needed to administer it because it's highly toxic. 'And when you watch that colour come out of a box and see two women with masks putting it in, it does feel really frightening. 'Some people decide to go traditional with treatment, some people don't. The point is that you have as much information as you can, because then you get to tailor your treatment and your whole experience of cancer, which honestly now I wouldn't change. I wouldn't change it because I'm calmer and, I think, slightly more connected to myself than I ever have been before.' After around six months, Samantha was told she was cancer-free - a term the star says she finds 'strange.' Advertisement 'I'll say I'm cancer-free as of right now, but I also know that, statistically, if you've had cancer there's probably a slightly greater risk that you'll get it again compared to somebody that hasn't had it,' she said. And cancer most definitely changed the star's outlook in so many different ways. Samantha tells us she's become more pragmatic, won't suffer fools, and is trusting and listening to herself a lot more than she once did. I feared the feeling of being out of control, and red devil chemo in particular felt really frightening Samantha Womack She said: 'I've definitely changed as a human. If I feel like I need a break, or feel like I need a check up, or if I'm actually really not comfortable with a job or I'm uncomfortable with a group of people, I just trust my voice in my head so much more than I ever did. 'If I feel like something is wrong, not just health-wise, just anything, if I feel like something's not a good fit for me, I'm far more confident now to be able to say, 'Do you know what? I just don't think this is for me. And that's because my perception has shifted.' Advertisement Samantha's shift in perception has also altered the way she views her finances, with the star admitting to having 'far less money than she ever had,' but for good reason. She explained: 'My biggest paranoia and, not even paranoia, my biggest anxiety was about financial stability because I didn't have it growing up. I had a precarious start in life and I craved that financial security that would keep me physically safe. 'I'd be in a house, and I'd control my environment. And I think work became attached to that for me, it became about financial security. and I think what's happened since the diagnosis is I'm in no better position financially than I was. I'm still a jobbing actor. I still, if I've got paid for one good job, it could be up to a year before I want to take another job or get offered another job. 'So I'm actually turning down more work now than I ever have, and I have far less money than I've ever had, but it's a weird thing for me because normally, as my bank balances disappears, that anxiety would normally keep me awake at night, and I still worry about it, but it doesn't take over my entire body because I know I'm safe. 'I'm safe because I have me, I have my brain, I have my body, and I have my health . Don't be distracted with all the other kinds of sparkly bits of life. If you've got a concern, if you've got any niggling worries, there are places you can go to get checked.' Advertisement On the topic of getting checked, Samantha is trying to educate women about the importance of knowing their breast density, for a Genesis Care campaign named 'Keep Abreast of your Breast Density.' While mammograms are a great screening tool for many women, for those with dense breasts it is harder to spot anything out of the ordinary, and cancer can be missed. Dense breast tissue is found in approximately half of women who are aged forty or above and worryingly, women with extremely dense breasts are six times more likely to get breast cancer than those with fatty breasts. Discussing her mission to educate, Samantha explained: 'We often think of breast cancer as something that happens to women after menopause , and that's dictated by the NHS calling us in for mammograms after the age of 50. 'But obviously we know now that cancer is now far more prevalent in all ages and breast cancer numbers are through the roof. What I love about the campaign is, as I've understood through my own journey, information is power .' Advertisement She praised the younger women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer for speaking out on social media, from Jessie J to EastEnders star Kara Tointon. 'Genesis Care is doing this amazing thing, where they are informing women about what dense breasts are following their mammogram, which I'd never heard of. I did loads of reading, loads of treatments, but no one had ever told me to test my breast density. And the statistics are really important. If you're D category and extremely dense, you're six times more likely to get cancer. We know now that cancer is now far more prevalent in all ages and breast cancer numbers are through the roof Samantha Womack 'To get checked is probably the same price as you taking your car for an MOT, or a weekend away or, you know, and even if you're low income, you could save up for a year and hopefully try and get enough.' GenesisCare has also launched a new screening service where patients who have dense breast tissue can benefit from a rapid breast MRI scan for early detection of cancer. These scans, which aren't widely available as standard screening unless you have a very high risk of breast cancer, are now available privately at GenesisCare centres in Oxford and Windsor. 8 Samantha's shift in perception has also altered the way she views her finances Credit: BBC Advertisement 8 Sam with Emmerdale partner Oliver Farnworth 8 Samantha said her initial response was to 'protect' her kids from the news Credit: INSTAGRAM 8 Samantha is trying to educate women about their breast density for a Genesis Care campaign Credit: Getty 8
The Irish Sun
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Celeb Traitors fans work out that huge name will be murdered first after spotting clue
FANS of The Traitors think an absolutely huge name will be murdered first in the highly-anticipated celebrity edition. The BBC has confirmed the full line-up of stars that would be headed to Ardross Castle in Scotland. Advertisement Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway, actress 8 Claudia Winkleman will take to the airwaves to host the forthcoming Celebrity Traitors Credit: BBC 8 The cast of the show has officially been revealed by the BBC Credit: PA 8 Stephen fry is amongst the huge names who will play the game in Scotland Credit: BBC However, many fans have their eye on actor and television host He's best known for his high-profile roles in films such as Wilde, Gosford Park, Chariots of Fire and Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. After appearing in the sitcom Advertisement READ MORE ON CELEB TRAITORS He was announced to be taking part in the forthcoming edition of the smash-hit murder mystery reality show. Since then, fans have taken to social media as they guessed that the huge personality will be an easy target for The Traitors if he is not chosen to take up the cloak. Writing on Reddit, one fan commented: "If Stephen Fry isn't a traitor I can't help but feel like he'll get voted out straight away." A second seemed to agree as they replied: "He might be voted out anyway if the other celebs still assume that." Advertisement Most read in News TV "I think he might be murdered early for this reason. People won't vote to banish him and it sends a message to kill off a big name," noted a third. As a fourth sarcastically joked: "They don't have the b******* to vote out Stephen straight away." Celebrity Traitors 2025: Meet the Full Cast Line-up While a fifth hopes that no matter what, the actor and broadcaster would stay in the game. They added: "Hopefully he's a faithful then." Advertisement Chart-topping star Paloma Faith is one of the A-list stars who have filmed with host Claudia Winkleman. In a new teaser trailer, the Strictly Come Dancing host remarked: 'We're incredibly lucky these brilliant people have said yes. How does The Traitors work and who hosts it? The Traitors first launched in the UK in 2022, after the Dutch format was acquired by the BBC. Claudia Winkleman is the show's host, and has now hosted all three series to date. How does it work? It is a reality game show that involves 22 contestants, and some of them are chosen to be The Traitors. The Traitors sees a group of contestants taking part in "the ultimate game of truth and deception". The group of contestants are competing for the chance to walk away with a huge cash prize. While navigating through a series of challenges, the team are also tasked with figuring out who the Traitors are in the group (usually three contestants). Each night, the Traitors gather to "eliminate" one of the Faithful, removing them from the competition Meanwhile, the traitors can be "banished" if they're successfully outed as a traitor by a faithful. The winners of the show are either the Traitor who remains undetected or the Faithfuls if they successfully eliminate all the Traitors. The prize sees the winner could get £120K. "I'd love to say we'll take it easy on them and they'll just wander round the castle and eat toast for a couple of weeks but that would be a lie.' The likes of , and chat show stars Jonathan Ross & Alan Carr are also amongst the lineup. Advertisement Other names include sports broadcaster comedians prankster At the end of the new clip, the Beeb revealed that the celebrity spin-off will kick off this Autumn. 8 Fans are incredibly worried about Stephen Fry in the murder mystery game Credit: Splash Advertisement 8 Good Morning Britain star Kate Garraway is one of the more high profile stars in the line-up Credit: BBC 8 Chart-topping singer Paloma Faith amongst the star list of names Credit: Getty 8 Bridget Jones and Calendar Girls actress Celia Imrie will sit by the round table Credit: Getty 8 Olympian Tom Daley will dive into the challenges Credit: Getty Advertisement
