Nadia Sawalha struggled to hold back tears on Wednesday's episode of Loose Women. Joining her co-stars Christine Lampard, Brenda Edwards and Judi Love on the panel, the mum-of-two was overcome with emotion as she reflected on her friend Hannah Gardner's cancer journey.
After taking a moment to recover herself, Nadia explained that she's a "lioness friend" when it comes to Hannah in particular and that she's prepared to "tear places apart" for her BFF.
In a heartwarming moment, Nadia's co-stars then surprised her, inviting three of her closest friends, including Hannah, to appear on the show. As the trio headed on stage, Nadia rushed into a group hug with the three of them.
© ShutterstockAsked about the origins of their friendship, the quartet explained that they'd met six years ago on a fundraising trip where they climbed the Himalayas.
"Nadia was our leader, and we haven't let go of her hand ever since because she's just been the epitome of friendship, [she's] loyal, beautiful, and I just love you," noted the presenter's friend Helen.
Nadia, 59, has referred to their friendship group as the 'Fab Four' in previous interviews, and she's publicly commended Hannah on her bravery after receiving a stage four breast cancer diagnosis.
This year, both Nadia and Hannah have been working to reverse a decision to block a 'lifesaving' cancer drug, known as Enhertu, from NHS hospitals in England and Wales. Currently, the drug is only permitted in Scotland. Breast Cancer Now has launched a petition, calling on NICE, NHS England, Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca to make Enhertu available to patients in the rest of the UK.
Speaking to MailOnline, Nadia said: "We want that drug available to them. It's a great drug that targets the tumour and doesn't blast the whole body, you know, we need it."
"For Hannah, she wants to hear her child [daughter Lilah] say just even one word with her being autistic, so that she knows she's gonna be all right."
In a bid to spread awareness, Hannah, 37, has appeared on Loose Women in the past. Back in March, the mum-of-one joined the panel, telling them: "I don't know how long I've got, some statistics two to four years, some say three to five, I am 3 years in and it's scary. It's not a fairy tale, it only ends one way. All we can have is extra time and this drug would have given me that, more time with my daughter. Six months might not sound like a long time, but it is in the world of secondary breast cancer."
