Fergie joins Coronation Street pals for poignant visit after sharing ‘death sentence’ fears

Sarah Ferguson joined two of her Coronation Street star pals for a poignant visit to a cancer centre after opening up about her fears after her own diagnosis.

Fergie joined Sally Dynevor, who plays Sally Metcalfe, and Sue Cleaver, who is Eileen Grimshaw in the soap, as she spoke out about her experience with breast cancer and urged women to attend their screenings as she became patron of a cancer charity. The three women toured the Nightingale Centre in Wythenshawe, Manchester, as the duchess was announced as a patron of charity Prevent Breast Cancer.

She was introduced to the charity, which is raising money for a new National Breast Imaging Academy, by Dynevor when both appeared as panellists on ITV’s Loose Women and discussed their personal experiences of breast cancer.

The duchess underwent an operation last year after she discovered she had an early form of the disease during a routine mammogram. Months later, she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma skin cancer and was later given the all-clear after treatment. The King and the Princess of Wales have also been undergoing cancer treatment this year.

It comes after Sarah revealed she feared she had been handed a “death sentence” when she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. The 64-year-old – who was married to Prince Andrew and has daughters Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 34 – underwent a single mastectomy after being diagnosed with the disease last June and explained that her mind went to the “darkest places” when she initially received the news.

Writing for The Sun newspaper, she said: “When you’re told you have cancer, you can’t help thinking it’s a death sentence. Your mind goes to the darkest places and you wonder what lies ahead and how you are going to share the news with your family.