Angie Best, the ex-wife of footballing legend George Best, has revealed she’s struggling with her first round of chemotherapy after flying to Switzerland for cancer treatment.

Earlier this month, her son Calum posted a video revealing the news that his beloved mum, 73, had been diagnosed with colon cancer. He shared that it has also spread to her liver.

After setting up a GoFundMe page to help pay for treatment, Angie flew to Switzerland for “chemo with mistletoe” therapy, sharing a picture of herself looking poorly in a hospital bed. Now, a week later, Angie has had her first round of chemo, and admitted that she’s feeling “terrible”.

Angie Best in hospital for cancer treatment

Posting overnight (January 26), Angie shared a video of herself. In it, she said: “Advice needed: I know a lot of you have been through this, but I can’t function, I can’t lift my head up, I can’t brush my teeth, I can’t eat. It’s terrible.”

She captioned the post: “Apparently feeling like this is normal. Nothing normal about it ffs.”

Son Calum commented: “I’m so sorry your feeling this way and going through this , it will pass and we come out even better. I love you.”

Last week, as she landed overseas for treatment, Angie shared: “Trying to fake a smile. I didn’t realise how sick I was. Couldn’t wait. So in Switzerland for chemo with Mistletoe.” Angie added: “A sincere heartfelt thank you to you my homies for your kindness.”

She then urged: “Google the Mistletoe treatment.”

What is mistletoe therapy?

The NHS doesn’t recommend mistletoe therapy as a primary cancer treatment. This is because there’s insufficient evidence that it cures cancer. However, some research explores it as a supportive therapy to improve quality of life alongside conventional care, reducing side effects and boosting immunity.

According to Macmillan: “Mistletoe comes from a group of therapies called anthroposophical medicine. These therapies aim to combine conventional medicine with complementary therapies. Mistletoe can be taken by mouth or as injections. It may be given by a homeopath. It is sometimes described as a herbal or homeopathic remedy.”

Angie openly admitted that she would be trying alternative therapies in addition to chemotherapy when it came to her cancer battle.

On the GoFundMe page sharing her cancer diagnosis, she declared: “I’m ready to fight.” She also added that she’d have chemotherapy, radiotherapy and complementary therapy as part of her cancer treatment.

Calum is raising money to pay for Angie’s treatment (Credit: Splash News)

Calum’s original announcement

Sharing the news with his followers earlier this month, Calum posted: “Hi everyone. I’ve been thinking long and hard over the past few weeks about how to write this. I wanted to get the words right, but when it comes to health, and when it comes to my mum, the only thing that really matters is honesty.

“A few weeks ago, my beautiful, wonderful mum was diagnosed with colon cancer that has spread to her liver. To move forward, we need access to specialist care and professionals who can offer the right treatment. This is incredibly hard for me to say, but financially, I can’t carry this on my own.”

He added: “For as long as I can remember, she has lived her life rooted in health, fitness and wellbeing. She has always believed in taking care of the body, mind and soul. But as we all know, cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care where you’re from, how you live, or how healthy you try to be. And now, it’s here – and it’s with my mum.”

‘Emotional rollercoaster’

“I’ll be honest, I haven’t cried in years. But this has been an emotional rollercoaster I never expected to be on. We’ve reached a point where we felt it was important to share what we’re going through and, humbly, ask for help.

“So we’ve created this GoFundMe page to ask for your support. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us access the specialists, treatment and care my mum needs during this time. We’ll also be sharing updates along the way, and my mum will be posting videos too, when she feels able.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, for caring, for sharing and for supporting us in any way you can.”

EastEnders icon Samantha Womack has shared Calum’s plea for financial help (Credit: Splash News)

Samantha Womack ‘devastated’

Calum’s cousin, EastEnders legend Samantha Womack, reshared his post, asking her followers to help.

Posting on Twitter, Samantha said: “After surviving my own cancer, I am devastated that my auntie Angie has advanced colon and liver cancer. Calum and I are doing everything we can, but we really need support. Appreciate any help you can give.”

Samantha’s father Noel, who took his own life in 2009, aged 60, was Angie Best’s brother.

The soap star was told that she had breast cancer in August 2022. In December of that same year, after undergoing gruelling treatment, she was declared cancer-free.