Loose Women star Lynda Bellingham has thanked fans for their support as she battles against cancer, and has said she has been keeping quiet about it "out of respect" for fellow patients.The television personality was diagnosed with the illness in July and speaking on Tuesday's show on This Morning, said she would "get it over with" and then talk about it. "Can I just take this opportunity to say thank you to everybody," said Lynda. "My point really [about keeping quiet about it], is that it's left me with the fact that I have got cancer and I'm dealing with it. "There are thousands of people with exactly the same thing and getting on with it and not talking about it, so I feel out of respect for them — and in a sense you've got to have some things in your life that are private — I'd rather just deal with it, get it over with and then I'll talk about it."
Lynda, 65, is determined her illness will not overshadow other parts of her life. While she has put her theatre project on hold, her role in A Passionate Woman, the actress is determined that cancer will not overshadow her life. "Let's be honest — it's horrible," she said. "There's no getting away from that, and it doesn't deserve the blimming space, so let's not give it advertising space. "Lynda was also proud to show her new hair on the show. "I was very lucky because I'm on a drug that I don't lose my hair," she said. "I've been working very hard to go grey for the play. I've got a fantastic hairdresser called Andrea who has tinted it down and I am actually now grey.""It's its first outing," she joked. "In a funny way one of the things that happens to you about illness is you lose control of yourself — that's the hardest thing. So I started with the hair and I'll get on with everything else and I'll be a new woman by Christmas."
The former Strictly Come Dancing contestant was flooded with support at the time of her diagnosis and said that the cards and messages she received from fans were a "huge boost". "What an eye opener it's been to realise how loved I actually am," she said. "I genuinely never expected such an overwhelming public reaction to my news but I can't tell you what a huge boost all your kind messages of support have been to me."
