EastEnders star Samantha Womack shares she’s cancer-free

Samantha Womack has shared the wonderful news that she is now cancer-free.

The former EastEnders star announced in August of this year that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. 

The actress – best known for playing Ronnie Mitchell in the BBC soap – decided to open up about her diagnosis after the passing of Grease star Olivia Newton-John, who had also battled with breast cancer.

After a few months of surgery and chemotherapy, the 50-year-old has now had confirmation from doctors that her treatment has been successful.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sam Womack (@samzjanus)

“I just feel really thankful and really grateful that I caught it when I did,” Samantha told OK!. “I feel very thankful for my life. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s almost like I can see the beauty in everything now – like everything feels special,” she gushed. “I keep bursting into tears, because I’m happy.”

After a random health check, Samantha had been told by her doctors that they had discovered a 2cm tumour. The mum-of-two was given her diagnosis of stage one to two breast cancer, and that it had also spread to one of her lymph nodes.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sam Womack (@samzjanus)

“It slowly dawns on you that these things that I’ve heard other people talking about and scenes I’ve seen in dramas that I’ve acted in… I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I’m in my own drama now.’”, Samantha admitted candidly. “It suddenly takes over everything.”

Samantha also bravely shared that she tried to stay in good spirits for her boyfriend Oliver Farnworth, and her two children – Benjamin (21) and Lilly (17). 

“I was trying to stay really positive for them and have any of my moments that were fearful or insecure privately,” she explained.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Sam Womack (@samzjanus)

Oliver additionally spoke about his love for Samantha, and how she handled her diagnosis. “Sam is so, so strong – she’s the strongest person I know. But what comes with that is potentially not thinking about herself or putting herself first,” the 40-year-old noted. “She’s always thinking about other people and she sometimes forgets herself.”

Although Sam will have to have additional treatment in the future to keep the cancer at bay, she feels hopeful about her life. “I feel profoundly changed by it and there is something incredibly moving about the pain and the fear we’ve been through,” she shared. “I love my life so much more. It’s like my life’s in vivid colour right now.”

We’re glad to hear that Samantha is doing well!

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