Lorraine Kelly halts show to announce death of ITV co-star
Lorraine Kelly was forced to pause her ITV show on Monday morning to announce the tragic death of one of her co-stars, who was part of the Change + Check Choir
by Jess Phillips · ChronicleLiveOn Monday morning, Lorraine Kelly solemnly interrupted her ITV programme to convey the heartbreaking news that a colleague from the show had died.
During a pause after the commercials, the Scottish presenter shared with the audience the passing of a Change + Check Choir member due to secondary breast cancer.
The choir was set up on the "Lorraine" show as part of the fifth anniversary celebration of Kelly's campaign encouraging regular breast examinations, culminating in the release of their debut track "Golden," featuring Joss Stone, in 2023.
Choir participant Heather Sawyer, unfortunately, faced a terminal Stage 4 cancer diagnosis. Her passing was made public by her husband through social media on October 5th.
Speaking to viewers, Lorraine announced: "I'm very sorry to have to share some sad news this morning. One of our amazing singers, Heather Sawyer, has died from secondary breast cancer. Heather was only 50 years old, an astonishing woman.", reports the Mirror.
She continued to reminisce, saying: "She was such a huge part of the choir, so passionate about everything. Amazing."
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Adding to the tribute, Dr Hilary, who was also present on the show, commented: "Wonderful lady. She sang at the Palladium with the choir, to celebrate the Change + Check campaign."
In remembrance, Lee, Heather's spouse, penned: "Shortly before 1am this morning 5th October Heather lost her fight to cancer and took her last breaths and passed away peacefully. We know just how many people have followed Heather's journey and how many lives she has touched from the sheer volume of messages, voice notes, the flood of the #hevupsocials hashtag.."
The family expressed their heartfelt gratitude, saying: "We as a family want to firstly thank each and every one of you beautiful people who have visited, sent well wishes and thought of Heather during this time. It has not gone unnoticed and we will be forever grateful to each and every one of you as you all made her know just how loved she was in her final days."
Tragically, Heather's cancer had progressed to the left side of her brain towards the end, resulting in her being moved to a hospice to ensure her comfort in her last moments. Heather, who was 50 years old and a grandmother to 11, bravely faced a mastectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy in an effort to combat the illness.
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