Author: bang1

Loose Women is set to honour the beloved late panelist Lynda Bellingham OBE with a special tribute episode of the ITV show, marking the 10th anniversary of her untimely passing

Lynda Bellingham rose to fame as the mother of a squabbling family in a long-running series of Oxo stock cube adverts.

The star, real name Meredith Lee Hughes, appeared in the iconic TV advert for more than a decade, between 1983 and 1999. and. went on to become a part of Loose Women in April 2007.

She was a fixture on the programme until 2011 and graced the show over 300 times, including one final appearance in 2014, just before she sadly died.

The esteemed actress and TV personality passed away on October 19, 2014, with her husband Michael Pattemore by her side, after a battle with colorectal cancer.

Lynda passed away on October 19, 2014 after a battle with colorectal cancer ( 
Image:
PA)

Loose Women is set to honour the beloved late panellist with a special tribute today (October 16) marking the 10th anniversary of her untimely passing.

Close friend Jane McDonald recently revealed that she believes that Lynda is still guiding her life in some ways years after her death.

The pair were very close friends after appearing on Loose Women together from 2004 until 2010 and Jane says Lynda gave her other career breaks along the way.

“So I still think Lynda’s guiding us all in our own ways. Her and I became really, really good friends over the years of Loose Women,” Jane told the White Wine Question time podcast. “I’ll always be grateful to Lynda for guiding me a little bit.”

Husbands feud with her sons

Lynda’s husband Michael Pattemore previously feuded with her sons over her assets ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Lynda’s husband Michael previously feuded with her sons over her assets after she died.

The TV star’s £1.9million estate caused a public dispute as her two sons Robbie and Michael alleged Mr Pattemore splashed “thousands of pounds on lavish holidays and other luxuries”.

But In June 2016, a document released by the High Court showed that the actual value of said estate was only £166,000. Her actual debts, according to the document, numbered more than £1.7million.

In 2017, it was reported that Michael and Robbie were to be left with just £50,000 each of their mother’s estate. At the time, various outlets reported that they had been “betrayed” by their step-father.

At the time, Lynda’s son Michael argued: “It’s a kick in the teeth hearing about his hell when he’s sitting on around £5million of property, much of which was bought with our mum’s money. None of Mum’s family or friends will speak to him now.”

Strictly Come Dancing Stint

Lynda was a contestant on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2009 ( 
Image:
PA)Lynda was a contestant on the seventh series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2009. The actor was partnered with professional dancer Darren Bennett.

The dance couples’ time in the competition was short, though, and the pair left in week four and the show was eventually won by sports presenter Chris Hollins and his professional partner Ola Jordan.

In a second exclusive extract from her new guidebook to grief, Loose Women star Coleen talks about the shocking impact of a 30-year-old tragedy and gives an honest a frank account of losing a parent in more ways than one

Coleen Nolan knows more about grief then she would ever wish to.In fact, she’s literally written the book on it.

Her new guide A Hand To Hold – All I’ve Learnt About Grief …. shares the poignant stories from Coleen’s past – including this exclusive extract about the lessons she learned after her sister’s Bernie’s devastating death in 2013.

But here Coleen opens up about the loss of two very significant women in her her brotherBrian’s wife Linzie who died from a suddenly from a viral infection in her 30s….and the very different experience of losing her beloved mum Maureen to dementia after five years of pain.

Here, as she prepares to release her new book inspired by her Mirror and Co-op Funeralcare podcasts, COLEEN NOLAN share her honest and frank account….

Coleen Nolan shares an exclusive extract of her new book A Hand To Hold – All I’ve Learnt About Grief with the Mirror ( 
Image:
COPYRIGHT Rebecca Lupton 2024)

My first really notable experience with grief was when my sister-in-law, Linzie, died suddenly in 1991 after contracting a viral infection.

She was only 26 years old – the same age as I was – and it was such a terrible shock, it shook me to the core.

All these years later in fact, I don’t think I’ll ever get over that first sudden grief; it will haunt me forever.

But while my family and everyone who knew Linzie were trying to come to terms with their loss, I saw how hard people found it to know what to say to us. I think, from then on, I knew I wanted to be able to say a few words to other people who found themselves in my shoes. Of course, in the years between then and now, life has taken more people from me.

It was seven years later, in 1998, when we lost our father, Tommy, at only 73, to liver cancer.

In the intensity of grief, it can be hard to see that the loss can shape us almost as much as knowing the person did.

Just a few years later, our lovely mum, Maureen, passed after suffering terribly from Alzheimer’s disease.

Coleen grew up in Ilford with five sisters ( 
Image:
Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
Mum’s passing, or the lead up to it, was just awful.

We had to watch as the woman we all knew and loved simply disappeared and was replaced by an aggressive stranger who eventually didn’t recognise any of us.

Now us Nolans, are an Irish Catholic family. When I lost my beloved sister in-law at such a young age, I found myself screaming at an unjust God. Why would He take such a young, beautiful soul when there are evil people out there walking around as fit as fiddles?

I told myself back then that there couldn’t actually be a God, and that I no longer believed in him.

Yet much, much later, when my mother was dying, bed-bound and ravaged by her Alzheimer’s, I found myself turning to that same God and pleading with him to allow our mother a fast and peaceful death.

I remember one night I lay with her in the home we’d had to put her in, and I thought, ‘If there is a God, please let her pass peacefully – and quickly too’, as I couldn’t bear to see her suffer like she was.

When she finally died, I acknowledged that perhaps He had heard me because she did pass peacefully. And although it was heartbreaking, I also felt a huge sense of relief that she was no longer suffering.

A Hand to Hold – All I’ve Learnt About Grief By Coleen Nolan is available August 29 (HarperNorth). Hardback, ebook and audio all priced £20.

EastEnders icon Natalie Cassidy has discussed her career and revealed that she had never watched the BBC soap before getting the role of Sonia Jackson in the early 1990s

Natalie Cassidy, star of EastEnders, has confessed that she had never seen the show before landing the role of Sonia Jackson in the early 90s.

The surprising admission came during her appearance on the Comfort Eating with Grace Dent podcast, where she discussed her career journey.

She explained that her family were more inclined towards ITV’s Coronation Street than the BBC classic, hence why she’d never watched EastEnders.

“We didn’t watch EastEnders, we watched Coronation Street in our house. Never watched EastEnders. My Dad didn’t like it. My mum didn’t really, it was Corrie.” Natalie also shared how she always felt she possessed an “old soul” and was quite mature for her age.

She explained: “I was like an adult at 10. I’ve always had a very old soul. I’ve always surrounded myself by older people, spoken to older people. I would go round a mate’s house, they’d go to bed and I’d sit with the mum. I’d be mates with all the mums more than the kids.”

This isn’t the first time Natalie has opened up about personal aspects of her life. Earlier this year, she made a candid admission about her personal hygiene on Loose Women.

She confessed to being a fan of bidets, leaving the panel taken aback by her unexpected stance on the matter.

Natalie revealed: “I like a bidet, it reminds me of my family bathroom when I was little. mum and dad’s bathroom, there was always a little bidet in there.”

“I haven’t got a bidet now but I do sometimes, on a warm day when I haven’t got time for a shower, fill up the sink and have a flannel wash.”

Natalie Cassidy also touched on the fact that she believes she had an “old soul” ( 
Image:
Hoda Davaine/Dave Benett/Getty I)

Natalie’s confession about both the bidet and the flannel wash sparked some controversy on social media, with one user criticising the star.

They posted: “By the time you have messed about having a ‘flannel wash’ you could have jumped in the shower. Flannel washes are such an old-fashioned thing to do.”

Another chimed in: “Flannel wash, very Victorian hygiene trait. A shower is far more hygienic (top to feet), and quicker.”

Frankie Bridge was left red-faced after making a racy comment about Sir Rod Stewart live on air as the panel chatted with Penny Lancaster about her husband’s health

Frankie Bridge begged people to move on after she made an accidental racy confession about Sir Rod Stewart.

The Saturdays singer was on the Loose Women panel today alongside Brenda Edwards, Kaye Adams and Penny Lancaster – the wife of Rod Stewart – when she made the blunder. She admitted she was struggling with her knees as Penny explained that Rod was doing much better and was focusing on his exercise and improving his health.

When Frankie was asked how she felt about exercise and improving her health, she quipped that she “wished she had more of Rod in me” before she realised what she said, and set the whole audience and panel into fits of laughter.

Frankie hid her face as Kaye jumped off her seat and gave her a hug ( 
Image:
ITV)
Frankie desperately tried to move on the conversation with Kaye quipped they should end the show there and then because no one was going to be able to say anything better than that, leaving them all in hysterics.

Earlier this month, Rod was forced to cancel one of his landmark Vegas shows after falling ill.

“We regret to announce that tonight’s Rod Stewart concert in Stateline, NV and his August 10 show in Lincoln, CA have been postponed, as the singer recovers from a summer strain of Covid-19. The Lincoln XA concert at Thunder Valley Casino will now be on August 18 and his concert at Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys in Stateline, NV, concert will now be August 20. Ticket holders should hold on to their tickets as they will be honoured for the reschedule shows,” a post on Instagram read.

During a previous interview, the singer confessed his “days were numbered” but insisted he wasn’t fearful about it.

She made a saucy confession about Rod ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images)

He said: “I’m aware my days are numbered but I’ve got no fear. We have all got to pass on at some point, so we are all in the same basket. I am going to be enjoying myself for these last few years as much as I can. I say few — probably another 15. I can do that easy mate, easy. I’m not like I was in the ’70s and ’80s and I can’t stay up all night, get drunk and go mad and still have a voice just like that. Nowadays I have to protect my voice before and after every show.

“The older you get, the more you have to do that. Water has a hell of a lot to do with it. But no, you think I just have water on my rider? You’re talking to Rod Stewart here, mate. We go mad after every show. There are 13 of us, six women, really great musicians and I make them drink. We absolutely love it. Before the show I have a quick Bacardi which I am trying to convince myself is good for my voice. After a show we all get stuck into the Martinis. Most bands all go home and go to bed but we don’t. We have a big old party.”

Loose Women star Charlene White has shared a passionate message to far-right supporters after riots across the country following fatal stabbings in Southport

When far-right riots broke out around the country, the scenes of hate brought back bad memories for Loose Women ’s Charlene White.

Born and raised in south-east London, Charlene grew up a couple of miles from Eltham – a stronghold of the racist far-right National Front, and the place where black teenager Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racially motivated attack in 1993.

Charlene, the daughter of Jamaican parents, says the language used in the recent riots was the same language she heard frequently as a child.

She says: “I grew up knowing the rumblings of the far right and racism – I’ve certainly had racist abuse thrown in my direction. But I know my worth. Those people believe that through violence, dissent, and aggression, they can control what I do with my life. The sort of language they were using was the same language of generations ago. I choose to not let those people have control over how I feel about myself.”

CCTV: Brazen thief walks off with 17 official replica football shirts

Riot police officers push back anti-migration protesters outside the Holiday Inn Express Hotel which is housing asylum seekers ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

The riots followed the fatal stabbings in Southport of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar on July 29. The ugly scenes across the country, hijacking the nation’s grief, were organised by the far right.

Newsreader Charlene adds: “There’s a small section of society that feels through behaving in that way, they can control what happens to those they don’t like – those they hate simply because of where they’re from. I choose to not give them power over me. I choose to still do the things that I want to do in my life.”

And she points to the contrasting scenes in Walthamstow, north-east London, where thousands turned out for a peaceful counter-protest and drowned out the extremists.

Charlene says: “The only thing that made me emotional during those entire few days was the thousands that turned up at Walthamstow. That’s the country that I’ve been raised in, and the place I call home.”

Home is something that holds deep resonance for the former I’m A Celebrity contestant, who is best known for presenting ITV News and sitting on the Loose Women panel.

It is at the heart of her first book, No Place Like Home. In it, she shares her own sense of home as a Jamaican Londoner, and interviews eight others who give their perspectives, shaped by events ranging from difficult family situations to political upheaval and war.

Nadia Sawalha, Charlene White, Judi Love and Jane Moore on Loose Women
It includes someone who went through the care system, and a family from Ukraine displaced by Russia ’s invasion. It is a timely piece of work. Charlene explains: “I don’t think any individual has the right to tell somebody else where they can call home. We have so many cultures who live here as a result of the empire. Great Britain wouldn’t be if we didn’t become the mix of cultures we are. My grandparents came here because they were asked to come to help rebuild the country.

“My hope is these people stop believing they can control where somebody else calls home. It’s a fundamental right to be able to be somewhere safe, where you can raise your family for the betterment of the country that you move to.”

For Charlene, home is South London, where she lives with partner Andy Woodfield and their children Alfie, seven, and Florence, five.

The seeds of her book began back in 2021 after working on her documentary Empire’s Child for ITV – exploring how the legacy of the British Empire has shaped her own family’s history. It left her feeling the need to explore further. She says: “There was a scene where the genealogist had taken me to a patch of land my ancestors had bought when they became freed slaves.

“I had a really weird reaction to it – my entire body just crumbled. It felt like I had this connection to this bit of land I’d never been to. It got me thinking about how I feel about home. I grew up in this Jamaican household in London, so my heart belongs in two places. There’s room for more than one place in your heart.”

Unexpectedly, the book also gave her dad Dennis a voice to tell a story he had bottled up for decades. He had been what is called a “barrel child” – youngsters left behind when parents move for work, eventually sent for when finances allow it.

Charlene says: “For my dad, that took over a decade. While he lived with his uncle in Jamaica, my grandparents had further children here. At 16, he arrived to two parents he’d not seen since he was a toddler – and these sisters he’d never met. It’s really hard for him. I learned about the impact on him emotionally, and why he’s the person he is. There are thousands who had to deal with that as children. Not all survived in the way my dad did.”

One thread that runs through Charlene’s book is the idea that safety and security as a child affect who you become as an adult. She says: “The partners you choose, the life you lead, the jobs you do, the people you have around you. If you’ve had a safe and secure childhood, it’s reflected in adulthood. I think we underestimate how important it is.”

She accepts that her children have a privileged life compared to many of those in her bulletins. And she ensures they know all about current affairs. She says: “They’re very aware of the world. We have conversations about it. We watch Newsround on CBBC every morning, and if they have questions, we talk about it.”

Unlike her own parents did, she would not discourage them from going into journalism. She says: “Coming from an immigrant household, there are specific jobs we were supposed to go into like doctor, dentist, lawyer, accountant. So they were really upset when I decided to do journalism. They didn’t forgive me until I got my first job!”

Loose Women presenter Ruth Langsford has sent a defiant message to Eamonn Holmes, two months after their marriage split

Ruth Langsford has sent a defiant message two months after her marriage to Eamonn Holmes ended.

The 64-year-old Loose Women presenter has revealed that she is still wearing her wedding ring as Eamonn is linked with counsellor, Katie Alexander, who is 22 years his junior. Ruth was seen still proudly lashing her wedding ring as she modelled her clothing range on shopping TV channel QVC on Friday. The range included her latest trench coats and the ring was clearly on show as she walked up and down to showcase the coats on her Instagram page.

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This defiant showing comes after Ruth gave Eamonn a “final warning” after he moved out of their Surrey home. Bella magazine reported that the TV presenter had looked to draw a line under their relationship: “Ruth doesn’t want him to feel like he can pop back and forth when he likes to grab bits. She wants a clean slate and has even told friends she might change the locks.”

Ruth Langsford flashes her wedding ring while modelling on QVC ( 
Image:
ruthlangsford/Instagram)

Ruth Langsford sent a defiant message to estranged husband Eamonn Holmes ( 
Image:
ruthlangsford/Instagram)
This has coincided with Eamonn taking a break from presenting the Breakfast Show on GB News, telling viewers that he was going on annual leave until “next week”. Meanwhile, Ruth recently dampened hopes of a reconciliation between the pair, hinting she could never be friends with the dad-of-four. The mum-of-one was hosting ITV’s Loose Women when the panel started discussing friendship with an ex. Ruth told singer Sinitta she was lucky she was still friends with ex-boyfriend, Simon Cowell, Ruth mused: “Not everyone can do that”.

Eamonn told Best magazine he hoped he could be friends with Ruth after their split, but conceded it was “too soon’ to tell. His comments came before it was reported Ruth found messages between her husband and another woman on a laptop. She is said to have been left “hurt” after finding out Eamonn is being consoled by Katie Alexander, 42, after the relationship counsellor struck up a friendship with the veteran broadcaster over the past couple of years.

Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes before their marriage split ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images)Katie’s ex husband has since come forward to offer his sympathy for Ruth. Speaking to The Sun, he admitted he was “heartbroken” when his own marriage came to an end, adding it took him years to “recover”. He said: “She’s going through what I did after our marriage ended.” George added: “She was not swooning over him like he was George Clooney. But she liked being on social media and one day she said she’d had a reply from him.”

Loose Women presenter Coleen Nolan has praised her partner Michael Jones while firing thinly-veiled digs at her exes in a new interview, saying she’s “never had it” before

Loose Women star Coleen Nolan has fired a thinly-veiled swipe at her exes in a new interview as she praised new love Michael Jones.

Coleen, who married Eastenders star Shane Ritchie in 1990, and was also married to guitarist Ray Fensome through the mid-2000s, says there’s “no game-playing” with her new man.

The 59-year-old told Bella magazine that Michael brings her “peace, calm and love” and loves her for who she is, rather than what she looks like. She said: “No matter what I look like in front of that man – he sees me on telly being all professionally done up – but he looks me exactly the same when I’ve got my hair in a ponytail at home.

Coleen then claimed she’s “never had that before”, adding: “I’ve always felt I had to prove something. It’s very different from every relationship I’ve had – there’s no game-playing.”

Coleen says she’s never been happier than she is with new man Michael Jones ( 
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images for Hearst)

Coleen had a very public spat with former husband Shane after saying she’d pay for their son to visit Amsterdam’s red light district ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

Coleen met Michael on Tinder in 2021 and the pair have been loved-up ever since. The presenter even sparked rumours an engagement was in the offing after revealing she was “obsessed” with looking at diamond rings.

And, speaking previously to Kaye Adams on her podcast, she revealed: “I think Michael would very much like to get married at some point. If it meant a lot to him, maybe I would, but I’d bloody make him sign a great big piece of paper before I did, because I’m not going through that again.

“I’ve looked into it. 100 per cent. It’s sorted from there and it’s a reference point; no-one thinks they’re going to split up.”

Coleen has never been afraid to speak her mind on Loose Women and famously had an on-air argument with guest Kim Woodburn. It led to the so-called “Queen of Clean” storming off-set in tears, but the core team have remained close and Coleen says she’ll never quit the show.

“I’ll stay there until they literally kick me out,” she said, “I’ll be the last one turning the light out on that day.”

And despite the constant pressure to look good on TV, Coleen insists that she’ll never go under the knife to regain her youthful appearance. She continued: “I’ll never have surgery because I’m too much of a coward – and Michael can’t stand it, I think he’d leave me if I got surgery.”

ITV Loose Women star Linda Robson was adamant and also defiant that she definitely does “not want to meet anyone else” despite the encouragement from many of her co-stars to move on

Loose Women talk turned awkward as Linda Robson snapped “I don’t want to meet anyone else” during a chat about the prospect of having a holiday romance.

The Birds Of A Feather actress, 65, confirmed she had split from her husband Mark Dunford earlier this year after 34-years of marriage, stating that the pair “drifted apart” after their children fled the nest.

On Thursday’s programme, the panel which included Kaye Adams, Denise Welch, Nadia Sawalha and Linda were chatting away about people being scammed as part of a holiday romance.

Host, Kaye expressed, that it was rife at the moment with many people falling for the trickery con-artists pretending to have fallen head-over-heels.

The gang were discussing how easy it would be to be led astray if feeling lonely, when Linda blurted: “I’ve never had a holiday romance, I’ve only ever had two partners.”

Linda was not happy about the romance talk ( 
Image:
ITV)“You don’t want one though do you,” added Denise as Linda shot back: “No, I don’t want one.” Shocked by her comments, Nadia chirped in, asking her: “Not even a kiss at the bar?”

“No I kiss my grandchildren, that’ll do me,” retorted the ITV star. Her friend and former Corrie star Denise stepped in to defend her, saying: “The thing is I know you do not want a long-term partner,” but was interrupted by Linda who giggled: “You bought me a friend, didn’t you.”

Loose Women stars discuss holiday romance scammers ( 
Image:
ITV)
“I bought you a little friend and she’s never had it out of the box,” declared Denise as the audience gasped and the panel laughed.

Linda went on to discuss feeling isolated when her three children moved out of the family home as she went on to agree that she “would feel sympathetic” to people who were feeling lonely and got swept up in the idea of a romance that turned out not to be real.

Denise continued with to probe Linda on the subject but was quickly shot down when Linda fired back, snapping: “I don’t want to meet anyone,” which also put a complete end to the conversation.

Linda was adamant: “I don’t want to meet anyone else” ( 
Image:
ITV)It’s been a difficult few years for the television personality after she opened up recently on her battle with alcoholism and OCD, that left her wanting to take her own life, at one stage.

The mum-of-three who shares two children with ex-husband Mark – Louis, 32, and Bobbie, 28 – admitted that she’d been left “guilt” ridden after her family needed to help her through “the worst time” of her life as she struggled to get sober.

Linda who is now sober, confessed to OK! magazine that there was no drama between her and Mark, it was as simple as their lives were heading in different directions.

She told the publication: “We drifted apart. People do, sometimes, don’t they? We never had that much in common. I’m very sociable. Mark never enjoyed that side of things.”

Linda had nothing but nice things to say about her ex as she hailed him as a “wonderful dad” and even detailed being in a good place with regards to the split herself.

The TV personality added: “I’ve been sad about it, of course I have. But we had two lovely children together. But they’re all grown up, living their own lives now. Now, it’s me and Dolly the dog. [But] I’m in a really good place. Work is good.”

Brenda Edwards has been through more heartache than most people could even imagine, but the Loose Women star continues to show incredible strength and resilience

Brenda Edwards, the vivacious Loose Women panellist, is just as effervescent, humorous, passionate and fierce in real life. However, she’s not afraid to reveal her vulnerable side, occasionally taking a moment to gather herself, sometimes with tears, during an OK! photoshoot.

At 55, Brenda has experienced more than her fair share of heartache. She was orphaned at the tender age of four when her loving parents tragically died in a car accident just before Christmas.

In 2022, her world was shattered once again when her cherished son Jamal passed away unexpectedly at just 31 years old. In a few days, she will commemorate what would have been his 34th birthday.

Brenda herself has faced mortality head-on, having been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2016 after discovering a pea-sized lump in her right breast. She endured six months of gruelling chemotherapy, which triggered early menopause, followed by a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.

 

Brenda Edwards opens up for the OK! photoshoot ( 
Image:
OK!/Catherine Harbour)

Despite the immense pain and sorrow she has endured, Brenda remains optimistic and has somehow found the strength to use her experiences to support others. The musical theatre star, who rose to fame in 2005 after finishing fourth in The X Factor, has partnered with GenesisCare – the UK’s leading specialist cancer care provider – to raise awareness about secondary cancers, reports OK!.

Brenda, who thankfully didn’t experience the disease spreading further, is now using her voice to raise awareness about the symptoms. She’s courageously participating in a poignant exhibition that highlights the body areas most vulnerable to secondary cancers.

In a shocking revelation, it turns out that 72% of breast cancer survivors are unaware of where secondary breast cancer is most likely to manifest, and a staggering one in three don’t even know what secondary cancer is .

“I have to admit, I fell into that category myself, of not being aware of where in the body cancer can spread,” she admits openly. “It’s the last thing people are thinking of when you’re going through breast cancer and the treatment of chemotherapy or radiotherapy or the operations, and secondary cancer is the last thing on your mind.”

“And that’s what’s so beautiful about this exhibition. It’s very emotive, but it’s showing the body parts that can be affected [through photography]. So, for example, the bones can be affected, so a symptom is backache. Also the brain can be affected, you can suffer from headaches, and with your lungs, there’s someone holding their chest and coughing. It’s a powerful exhibition and a picture speaks a thousand words. It’s about raising awareness, which is something very important to me.”

Brenda, who was 46 at the time, got her diagnosis in 2016 after initially finding a lump months before. She admits that, like many others, she tried to ignore it, and her busy schedule performing as Motormouth Maybelle in ‘Hairspray The Musical’ kept her mind off things.

However, the lump made its presence known again one day while she was showering. “When I first felt it, it was what I can only describe as a frozen pea,” Brenda said.

“But this time it was more prominent. I immediately phoned my doctor and she referred me to my local hospital to have a mammogram, which then turned into a biopsy, which was really hard and difficult and a very emotional time for me. There was so much going on in my head, the first thing at the forefront of my mind was my children and ‘what if? ‘ I’m usually a positive person, let’s be joyful, you know? And then there was this cloud over me. It was two weeks of waiting [for the results] and that’s the worst two weeks of your life.”

Brenda Edwards bravely opens up ( 
Image:
OK!/Catherine Harbour)
Brenda, a mum who faced the harrowing ordeal of being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, chose to shield her children Jamal and Tanisha from the initial worry by attending the consultation alone. Recalling the moment with emotion, she shared, “It was very upsetting. I was already thinking the worst. I asked my doctor if I could record what she was saying and she was fine with that. I just knew I wasn’t going to take in what she was going to tell me. And after she said ‘You’ve got stage three breast cancer’ nothing else went in. I just thought of my children, ‘I’ve got to tell my children,’” Brenda recounts the heart-wrenching experience of informing her kids, describing it as “the worst thing” and how they visibly paled upon hearing the news.

She explained her approach, “It was important for me to wait to hear what the diagnosis was and what the possibilities of treatment were before I spoke to my children,” highlighting the need to be prepared for their inevitable questions and to spare them the anxiety she endured.

Reflecting on her son’s reaction, Brenda said, “My son, he couldn’t, he wouldn’t speak. I told them, ‘Look, this isn’t going to change me. This isn’t going to be defining me. Do not worry about anything. I’m going to fight it.’ And that’s exactly what I did.”

Brenda has revealed that from the moment of her diagnosis, she refused to entertain dark thoughts and credits her will to see her children grow up as the source of her strength. .

“I’ve had a lot of tragedy in my life and you kind of learn to be resilient,” she reflects. “Because both of my parents died when I was so young, so I was determined not to let my children be orphaned. I always said that I wanted to get past the age that my parents were, because they were very young – 27 and 25 – so it just wasn’t an option for me. Cancer knocked on the wrong door.”

Throughout the tough chemotherapy treatments that followed, which led to hair loss, extreme fatigue, nausea, and melanonychia black discoloration of the nails Brenda stayed focused. After undergoing a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery, she saw her ordeal as the gateway to a “second chance at life”.

Brenda is all smiles ( 
Image:
OK!/Catherine Harbour)

Stunning: The Loose Woman star ( 
Image:
OK!/Catherine Harbour)

“With a sense of humour intact, she quips, “The surgeons took [tissue] from my stomach to [rebuild my breast] and I got a whole new belly button – it’s actually better than the belly button that I had!

I got a new breast and a new piece of life, and that’s the way that I look at it. It was like I had a second chance at life.

“I cut out sugar – I used to have a lot of sugar in my coffee, I don’t even want to admit it, but I had six sugars. Then I started to do my research. My son would too and he would read something and send it to me. I stopped eating processed foods, I started growing my own veg because I did research into pesticides, and I had a diet of spinach, because if it’s good for Popeye, it’s good for me! “.

As time marched on, Brenda found herself feeling fitter than ever before, with cancer nowhere in sight. Yet, come January, marking eight years since her initial cancer diagnosis, she discovered another lump by her collarbone.

It was then that Coleen Nolan, her workmate from Loose Women and dear pal, jumped in to offer unwavering support. “Coleen’s sister Bernie unfortunately died and her two sisters have breast cancer, so she knows,” Brenda says. “I asked her if she would come with me, she’s been through it with her family and she gets it. She’s naturally funny and we have such a great friendship and I wanted somebody to be with me that I knew would just take my mind off of it. It was a two-hour wait but thankfully nothing was there.”

Brenda acknowledges it’s not just Coleen who has been her bedrock; the entire Loose Women squad has been by her side. “All of them bring different things and I’m truly grateful to have that network of very strong power,” she exclaims. “We’re like a little family. They are a phenomenal set of women.”

Brenda also opened up about her poignant encounter with Sarah Ferguson, who has also faced a breast cancer diagnosis. Brenda recalls, “It was quite surreal because she said to me, ‘Oh my gosh, I know about you. I know about your story, and you are such a strong woman.’ It was around the time Jamal had passed and there was a lot I was going through when she came on.”

She reflected on the indiscriminate nature of cancer, saying, “With the Duchess it just shows that cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter where you are from, what background, what religious background, what your beliefs are, it just doesn’t discriminate.”

Brenda continued, “It’s also very sad about the King and Princess Kate, it just seems to be happening everywhere. We’ve had [Strictly star] Amy Dowden on the show and just last week we spoke to Myleene Klass whose friend Lauren [Laverne] is going through cancer. It’s inspiring to see other people and how they go through it and how they deal with it.”

When asked for advice for those facing or dealing with cancer, Brenda offered an unequivocal message: “Just go to your GP straight away,” she advises firmly. “You owe it to yourself to take action. As scary as it is, you’ve got a much better chance of survival if it’s caught early.”

“Please don’t be scared to have that conversation. If you’re not having a conversation with your GP, have a conversation with someone in your family or a friend and I guarantee that person will say the same thing I’m saying. Get yourself checked out and get rid of the fear.”

Brenda, looking ahead, is keen on continuing to spread positivity and inspire others. She established The Jamal Edwards Self Belief Trust in memory of her son, a music entrepreneur, to support the upcoming generation.

During our shoot, she proudly sported a wristband bearing his name as a tribute to him. It’s evident that he’s always on her mind. “It’s about empowering young people and unlocking the purpose in self-belief,” she says of the Trust. “We have paid internships for young people from underrepresented backgrounds and we’ve got the first sanctuary that’s being built and renovated to house young people. We’re building a community to bring everybody together. I don’t know what’s going on with the young, I just don’t know what’s going on in this world, with all the violence and the crime, but I want to try and find something positive to deflate that negative.”

In addition to her commitment to her charity work, Brenda is also directing Hairspray The Musical and shares with us her desire to take on more directing roles in the future.When asked about the prospect of joining a reality TV show, she beams, saying: “I’d love to do Strictly,” before adding, “I’ve not been asked to do that one yet but I’d love to do it. I couldn’t do the jungle though, I only eat green things now, remember.”

Masterchef star Christine McGuinness confirmed during an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women that she’s moved on from her TV star husband Paddy McGuinness following their marriage breakdown

Christine McGuinness has confirmed “I am dating again” as she took to the stage on Loose Women.

The MasterChef contestant, 36, was delving into her time on the BBC cooking competition on Tuesday’s ITV daytime show when talk turned to her love life and if she’d finally moved on after her marriage breakdown to funnyman Paddy McGuinness.

She had been chatting about her inability to cook and that she’d hoped taking to the famous BBC kitchen could spur her to be more adventurous when it comes to food. It just so happened that talk averted from cooking to romance.

Coleen said: “You seem to be really moving forward and really pushing yourself, do you think now that you’re in a place where you may be ready to start dating again?”

Christine was all smiles as she spoke about her new romance

Christine responded with a huge smile on her face: “I am dating,” as the audience and panel gasped. The former Miss Liverpool model added: “I am dating with terms and conditions that I am not cooking, that’s the number one rule, I’m not doing the cooking it’s not for me.”

Paddy’s ex also opened up on the show about her struggles with food throughout her life because of her autism diagnosis and having suffered an eating disorder in the past.

Christine stepped out of her comfort zone appearing on MasterChef
She confessed to the panel that she would often eat in her car away from people as that felt more comfortable.

Speaking about how romantic dinners would now fit in with her life, she explained: “Yeah, I’m dating and it’s all a bit brand new and we spoke an awful lot before we had a first date and I was very open and said I don’t want to go to a restaurant and I don’t want to go on a dinner date.”

Christine has set boundaries with her new love interest

The mum-of-three recalled a conversation with her new love interest: She told them: “‘I don’t know when I’m going to sit and eat with you’.” Christine went on to tell the panel that it was “exciting” as she shut down the conversation.

Back in 2022, Christine and the Take Me Out star rocked the nation when they took to social media to announce they were parting ways after 11 years of marriage. The pair who share three children together – 10-year-old twins Penelope and Leo, and seven-year-old Felicity – shared a joint statement to confirm their marriage was over.

Since then, Paddy and Christine have been living in the same house as they attempt to co-parent their brood without too much disruption, due to their autism diagnosis. The pair have since spoken about co-living has worked out.

Due to their love for one another, it had been speculated and hoped that the married couple would rekindle and get back together, but given Christine’s declaration on Loose Women, it appears that won’t be the case.

The model turned reality star didn’t say too much about her love interest but did confirm she had indeed moved on. Given the beaming smile across her face, she appeared to be incredibly happy.