Gloria Hunniford was "dumbstruck" by Sarah Harding’s cancer diagnosis.
Gloria, 80, admitted hearing that the 38-year-old Girls Aloud singer is suffering with breast cancer brought her right back to 1997 when her beloved daughter Caron, 34, received her own cancer diagnosis.
She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I was dumbstruck. Caron was 34. And like Sarah, she was young, fit and fastidious about her diet.
"At the time, I knew of no other young girls with breast cancer. I was devastated when my gorgeous mum had to have a mastectomy in her 70s, but you half expect health problems in your parents. Not in your young daughter."
Sarah recently revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year and has now learned it’s already advanced to other parts of her body.
Sarah wrote on Twitter: "Hi everyone, I hope you are all keeping safe and well during these uncertain times. I’ve not posted on here for so long, thank you to everyone who has reached out to check in on me, it really does mean a lot.
I feel now is the right time to share what’s been going on. There’s no easy way to say this and actually it doesn’t even feel real writing this, but here goes. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and a couple of weeks ago I received the devastating news that the cancer has advanced to other parts of my body.
"I’m currently undergoing weekly chemotherapy sessions and I am fighting as hard as I possibly can. I understand this might be shocking to read on social media and that really isn’t my intention.
"But last week it was mentioned online that I had been seen in hospital, so I feel now is the time to let people know what’s going on and this is the best way I can think of to do so. (sic)"