Samantha Womack says Olivia Newton-John inspired her to share cancer diagnosis

Watch below: Samantha Womack on her breast cancer journey: 'I feel fantastic'

Samantha Womack has said she was inspired by Olivia Newton-John to go public with her breast cancer diagnosis.

Appearing on This Morning to discuss her illness, the former EastEnders actor paid tribute to Newton-John who died of the disease earlier this year at the age of 73.

Womack said: "I'd been with Olivia, just for a dinner after a show I'd done, I'd played Sandy in Grease. It was just at the beginning of her diagnosis and what struck me was her journey had been 30 years and she was at the end and I was just at the beginning, and it took me back - I felt very moved by it."

Samantha Womack arriving for the 2014 National Television Awards at the O2 Arena, London. (Photo by Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images) — Samantha Womack arriving for the 2014 National Television Awards at the O2 Arena, London. (Dominic Lipinski/PA Images via Getty Images) (Dominic Lipinski - PA Images via Getty Images)

She added: "I thought, 'I want to share it. I want to talk to people. I want to put it out there' and it was amazing, the love that came back. I felt empowered by it."

Read more: Samantha Womack says she's 'blessed' to be back on stage amid cancer battle

Womack made her diagnosis public when posting a picture of Newton-John after the Grease star's death in August.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 16: Olivia Newton-John performs during Fire Fight Australia at ANZ Stadium on February 16, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cole Bennetts/Getty Images) — Olivia Newton-John performs during Fire Fight Australia at ANZ Stadium on February 16, 2020. (Cole Bennetts/Getty Images) (Cole Bennetts via Getty Images)

She also revealed that she had undergone a lumpectomy to have the cancerous tissue and five lymph nodes removed.

Womack also recently began chemotherapy and shared that she had suffered from side effects including headaches and loss of appetite.

She recently returned to work in a production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Gillian Lyne Theatre in London.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 07: Samantha Womack smiles for the camera as she trains on February 7, 2020 in London, England. The celebrities are training for Sport Relief: On Thin Ice, as they prepare to cycle, skate and trek 100 miles across Lake Khövsgöl in Mongolia. (Photo by Jacqui Black/Comic Relief) — Samantha Womack made her breast cancer diagnosis public following the death of Olivia Newton-John. (Comic Relief) (Jacqui Black/Comic Relief via Getty Images)

Womack is playing the evil White Witch in the latest adaptation of CS Lewis' classic children's novel.

Some of her other theatre productions include the UK tour of The Girl on the Train, Morticia in The Addams Family and several pantomimes.

Outside of EastEnders, Womack is best known for her roles in Kingsman: The Secret Service, Liverpool 1 and Mount Pleasant.

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