Caroline Aherne, the award winning actor and comedian, has disclosed that she is recovering from lung cancer.
Aherne, who co-wrote, directed and starred in The Royle Family, revealed she has been undergoing treatment in her home city of Manchester. It is the 50-year-old's third battle with the disease, having been born with a rare form of retina cancer and later receiving treatment for bladder cancer.
She made the diagnosis public ahead of her launch of the Macmillan Cancer Improvement Partnership next month, which will bring together all cancer care providers in Manchester with a view to improving support for cancer sufferers.
In a statement, she said: "I've had cancer and my brother's had cancer and we know how it affects people. It's brilliant that all these big institutions want to make cancer care better for Manchester people, but even the best doctors, nurses and managers on Earth aren't going to be able to understand what needs improving unless people affected by cancer in Manchester get involved and tell them what needs to change."
She continued: "They've asked me to get involved and I'm really glad that I can do my bit to encourage Manchester people to speak up about where things do go wrong with cancer care."
The daughter of Irish immigrants Bert and Maureen, Aherne grew up on a council estate in Wythenshawe, Manchester, and her first job was answering phones at BBC offices in the city.
Both Aherne and her older brother Patrick were born with a rare form of retina cancer which she was treated for into her 20s. She then underwent treatment for bladder cancer, the same disease that later took the life of her boyfriend Matt Bower in 1997.
Aherne, who has been a smoker, has also spoken of her battles with depression and alcohol, following the breakdown of her marriage to musician Peter Hook, the death of her father, and struggles with fame. She spent time at the Priory clinic before moving to Australia to escape the public eye.
She recently made her return to TV however as the narrator of popular Channel 4 show Gogglebox. She said in her statement: "I will be narrating this week's Gogglebox, and I will continue to narrate Gogglebox for as long as Gogglebox want me."
Nicola Cook of Macmillan Cancer Support said she was delighted by Aherne's involvement in their new cancer partnership. "We know that its success hinges on the involvement of people affected by cancer in Manchester," she said.
"Caroline's one of Manchester's own – she's loved here and people identify with her. We hope that if people see that Caroline is sitting down and talking to us then maybe they'll know that they can too."
