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Samantha Womack has recently turned 50 and is celebrating her cancer-free status after having a successful lumpectomy and lymph node removal procedure.
The former Eastenders star was previously diagnosed with breast cancer and revealed she was battling the disease in August as she paid tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John, who sadly lost her fight to the illness.
But now, Samantha has opened up about her worries about fearing she would ‘embarrass’ her boyfriend during her own battle with cancer.
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In an interview with OK!, Samantha admitted she was concerned about how surgery and chemotherapy would change her appearance, and thus her relationship with her boyfriend, Oliver Farnworth.
She admitted to the outlet: “I kept saying, ‘I don’t want you to find me ugly. I don’t want to be an embarrassment to you'. Just silly things that you say, but they are feelings.
"And also, for me saying, ‘I don’t want to put you through this, why on God’s earth would you want to be with someone that’s going to be in and out of hospitals?!’ I didn’t know at the beginning how bad it was going to be."
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Of course, her worries were short-lived, as her partner reassured her that she was ‘beautiful’ no matter what.
She continued, adding: “He [Oliver] kept saying to me, ‘You idiot, this is what I want, I want to be here with you. This is a privilege for me to be near you and you’re beautiful and I don’t give a s**t about your hair'."
His comforting response took her ‘breath away’, with her adding that the conversation was a ‘very emotional’ one.
Samantha said: "I didn’t expect to feel such gratitude for someone for loving me just for me, rather than all the bits you think are important.”
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Back in May last year, Samantha and Oliver revealed their relationship with each other to the public, after she shared a slew of sweet pictures together on social media.
They first met on stage, having acted together in the production of the Girl On The Train, which was based on the book by Paula Hawkins and the film adaptation which starred Emily Blunt.
Samantha was previously married to Mark Womack for nine years, and shares two children with her ex-husband.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week
Featured Image Credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo / Instagram/@samzjanusTopics: Celebrity, Eastenders, Health