Monday, 3 May 2010

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Corrie's Sally Whittaker: My battle with breast cancer

Coronation Street star reveals her secret struggle

Sally Whittaker stars as Sally Webster in Coronation Street

Coronation Street star Sally Whittaker has revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer 6 months ago.

The soap star's character, Sally Webster, is fighting the disease in the ITV soap but Sally has kept her real-life battle private until now.

'We got into the car after leaving the hospital and I cried like I had never cried before,' says the mum-of-three.

'It was uncontrollable sobbing. I didn't want to die. I would hate to be sat on a fluffy cloud looking down on my children. I couldn't cope with that. I had to be there to see them grow up.'

Sally, 46, says husband Tim Dynevor and kids Phoebe, 15, Hattie, six, and son Sam, 13, have kept her spirits up by not dwelling on her illness, which was diagnosed on 22 October last year.

'Every time they come in and say, "Oh Mum, why haven't we got any chocolate biscuits?" it snaps me back into mum mode and takes my mind off it, which is brilliant,' she tells Hello!

'Other times, when I've been feeling at my absolute worse, Hattie has said to me, "Oh Mummy, you are so beautiful". Without them knowing, they have got me through it.'

After taking a six-month break from The Street and shaving off her hair, Sally is now preparing to make her return to work.

'It's made me appreciate life more and I feel humbled,' she admits. '­Everybody I love, I love a million times more.'

SEE PICTURE Coronation Street's Sally Whittaker proudly shows off her bald head here>>