The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Lynda’s last TV interview aired
THE LATE Lynda Bellingham was yesterday seen poignantly describing the details of the Christmas she would never see during her final TV interview.
The actress had hoped for one more festive season after choosing to end treatment for her cancer but died at the weekend just days after she had made her decision public.
In the interview for Loose Women — a show on which she had been a regular panellist for a number of years — she assured her friends and colleagues all would be “fine” and said she longed to be remembered for her honesty.
Bellingham died in the arms of her husband Michael Pattemore at the age of 66 after the cancer spread from her colon to other parts of her body. She recorded her last interview earlier this month and told how she was “obsessed” with Christmas and was determined to see one more.
“Bloody right I am! I am. I AM,” she insisted, during the interview with Janet Street Porter and Coleen Nolan in front of a studio audience, which included Pattemore.
“We’re going to go to the hotel and have the meal but just my little bit of control — we’re going home for pudding and presents; it’s exciting.
“My only problem is getting the presents — my sister Jean has been absolutely amazing and I keep sending him (Michael) out for bizarre things.”
Bellingham told of her desire for a real Christmas tree, although her husband was not a fan.
Nolan, who was on yesterday’s live panel, had to leave while they showed Bellingham talking about Christmas because she was so upset.
Bellingham was given a standing ovation as she entered the studio and went on to say how she wished to be remembered: “Just as an honest person. Honesty. We’ve been through this as Loose Women — you can’t do Loose Women unless you’re honest.”
She said her memoir There’s Something I’ve Been Dying To Tell You — which was released less than a fortnight ago — was “for everyone”.
Bellingham, who seemed lively, despite looking obviously ill, said she had never taken the view that her illness was “not fair”.
“To be honest, we have no right to live forever. You know how I love a survey — a survey says you can live until you’re 80, yes, lovely, but it’s not a given. Somebody else decides when you pop off the twig,” she said.