Dame Julie Walters Reveals Heartbreaking Moment She Told Her Husband Of Cancer Diagnosis

Recalling how she was then given a referral to a gastric surgeon as well as a CT scan, the 69-year-old explained: "[The doctor] said, 'sit down'. I said, 'yeah, what's up?'

"And he said, 'we've found an abnormality in your intestine'. I said, 'right, what is it?" He said, 'well, I'm worried it's cancer'."

Julie explained how she returned to her husband, Grant Roffey, who was waiting in the car.

"So I came out and then Grant was waiting in the car because he'd taken me," she continued.

"I said, 'they're worried it's cancer'. I'll never forget his face. And tears came into his eyes. And I thought, 'oh Grant!' So then I worried about him."

The Mama Mia star explained she was in total shock at the news, adding that she tried to look for the positives.

"You hold onto the positive which was he [the doctor] said, 'we can fix this'."

Following the news, Dame Julie explained she had surgery - with "30cm taken out of [her] colon" as well as chemotherapy.

Explaining that she's now doing "really well" she added: "I've just had a scan, and I know that [I'm] clear."

Julie decided to keep the diagnosis secret and was required to skip certain work events, including the Mama Mia 2 premiere as well as some filming for The Secret Garden.

She told Victoria how the diagnosis has changed her attitude to work.

"I'm not saying I'll never act again. But I certainly don't think I can go back to [working] six days a week, five in the morning till seven o'clock at night," she explained.