Home and Away actress Cathy Godbold has passed away, aged 43, following a ten-year battle with brain cancer. The beloved star was known for her roles as Deborah Hale Regnery in The Saddle Club and as Meg Bowman in the popular Australian soap. In Home and Away, she took part in an emotional storyline which featured her character's battle with Leukemia in the early nineties – her final scene saw her die boyfriend Blake Dean's arms whilst watching the sun rise.
According to Australian reports, Cathy was first diagnosed with cancer in July 2007 and was diagnosed with two brain tumours over the following decade. At the time of her diagnosis, the actress remained positive about beating the disease, saying: "It was a terrible shock to find out I was ill. Because I am young and healthy I have a much better chance of beating it. I am fighting this… I want to get healthy and get back to work as soon as possible."
© Photo: Getty ImagesCathy Godbold (top centre) has died after a ten-year cancer battle
In an interview with 9News, Cathy's friend Sally Browne revealed that she was upbeat in her final weeks. "She would sit bolt upright and dance whenever Coldplay CDs were played at her hospital bedside," her friend shared. "Cathy was a wonderful, young woman and a very talented young actress. But like all brain tumours, it eventually took over and it was just a tragic, tragic end. We also had her scrapbooks there and were reading to her - so there were some beautiful, poignant moments as well."
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Home and Away fans have since taken to Twitter to post their condolences, with one writing: "Deepest condolences to Catherine's family and friends. A great Aussie actress." Another tweeted: "Oh no. So sorry to hear this. Her story on H&A was one of my favourites. So tragically sad that real life has mirrored." A third post read: "Rest In Peace amongst the angels."
