Carol Vorderman has revealed that her mother Jean has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The 56-year-old former Countdown star took to Twitter on Sunday – Mother's Day – to share the heartbreaking news. She wrote: "A precious Mother's Day x This wk Mum & I found out she has terminal cancer. She's 88, beautiful inside and out & I love her beyond measure x." Carol later shared a photo of Jean surrounded by her loved ones at a family lunch, which she captioned: "Mum's lunch with all her children, all her grandchildren and gorgeous great grandchild Alex. Lots of laughing x."
Carol Vorderman shared a photo showing mum Jean surrounded by her family
Jean, who lives with Carol in Bristol, has battled three forms of cancer in the past – kidney, skin and ovarian cancer. Her daughter has previously spoken about her fight against the disease on social media. In July 2015, she told followers: "Mum having 3rd cancer op today but this op is minor compared to the previous ones thankfully. Mum has had a 3lb ovarian tumour removed (miraculously it hadn't spread), then she had kidney cancer so half her right kidney was removed, this time it's a pretty big malignant melanoma, but mum says 'Goodness me, this is nothing. I'll be in and out in no time.' Scans have shown this skin cancer hasn't spread either so we consider ourselves lucky children today."
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The star revealed her mum's cancer diagnosis in a poignant Mother's Day post
Carol is incredibly close to her mum. It was Jean who sent off Carol's job application for Countdown, and then helped care for her children – Katie, 24, and Cameron, 20 – when she was starting out on her career. "I don't think I would have been able to leave Katie if Mum hadn't been at home to look after her," Carol previously told the Daily Mail. "But together we'd created an old-fashioned, three-generation, 'family looking after family' home. My mum and I have always lived together, and that's the way we like it. Now 82, she is still by my side. She has been there through it all, no matter what."