Cancer (disease)

LEGENDARY British singer-songwriter Chris Rea has tragically passed away aged 74.

The singer, from Middlesbrough, penned the smash hit Driving Home For Christmas in 1978.

Christopher Rea was born on 4 March 1951 in Middlesbrough in the North Riding of Yorkshire to an Italian father, Camillo Rea, and an Irish mother, Winifred K. Slee.

In 1973 he joined the local Middlesbrough band, Magdalene and began writing songs.

He went on to enjoy a long and sucesfull career on the British music scene.

His most famous song Driving Home for Christmas, song has made a reappearance on the UK Singles Chart every year since 2007.

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It’s now a chart regular at this time of year, reaching its highest position in 2021 when it made it to number 10.

Rea was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at the age of just 33 and faced nine serious operations – spending a total of 32 weeks in hospital.

While appearing on the TV show Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Christmas special in 1994 Rea told the hosts he had “never really gotten over” his diagnosis.

He has previously opened up on his health battle, revealing that some of his internal organs, his pancreas, gallbladder, and left quadrant of the liver were “all gone” after an operation.

It was after he had received the lifesaving surgery that the star discovered he had type 1 diabetes.

Speaking candidly about the moment he told his wife Joan Lesley about the diagnosis Rea said: “She pulled the car over and burst into tears.”

Chris has previously said he has to take “34 pills every day” after his health struggles.

His wife Joan was there when the hitmaker wrote the Christmas favourite Driving Home for Christmas.

The pair have been together since they met as 16 year olds in Middlesbrough and it is said Rea has the longest surviving relationship in the music industry.

The couple have two daughters together Josephine, born 16 September 1983, and Julia Christina, born 18 March 1989.

Speaking to Bob Mortimer about its origins, Chris previously said: “I was on the dole when I wrote that.

“My manager had just left me. I’d just been banned from driving.

“My now wife, Joan, had to drive down to London to pick me up in the Mini and take me home, and that’s when I wrote it.”

That Christmas drive up north was a magical one indeed, not only did he write a famous song, he also received a cheque for £15,000 upon stepping through his front door.

His song Fool (if you think it’s over) had become a hit in America and earned him a pretty sum. The timing couldn’t have been better given he was down to his last £200.

It was a while before Driving Home would make any money.

ACTRESS Angelina Jolie bravely bares her mastectomy scars in solidarity with other women battling cancer. 

The Oscar-winning star, 50, showed the effects of her life-saving operation, when she had both breasts removed 12 years ago, in a bold photoshoot. 

She told Time France magazine: “I share these scars with many women I love. And I’m always moved when I see others share theirs.” 

Posing on the cover of the December issue in a low-cut jumper, with her hand covering her chest, the mum of six said she hoped the move would help raise awareness of the disease. 

The star had both breasts removed and reconstructive surgery in 2013 after finding out she has the BRCA1 gene mutation, which meant her chances of getting cancer were high. 

Following her double mastectomy, Lara Croft star Jolie also had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a preventive measure. 

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She lost her mum, French actress Marcheline Bertrand, to ovarian cancer in 2007.  

Her grandmother and aunt also died from cancer. 

Jolie added: “Every woman should always be able to determine her own healthcare journey and have the information she needs to make informed choices. 

“Genetic testing and screening should be accessible and affordable for women with clear risk factors or a significant family history.”  

Jolie, who settled her eight-year divorce battle with ex Brad Pitt, 61, a year ago, is currently working on upcoming film Couture. 

In the fashion drama, she plays Maxine Walker, a US filmmaker diagnosed with breast cancer. 

DAVINA McCall has shared a sweet tribute to her new husband Michael Douglas after confirming they have finally tied the knot. 

The couple, who have been together since late 2018, said their I Dos in a small and intimate ceremony in front of family and friends earlier this week. 

Just days later, Davina took to Instagram to reshare an on-stage tribute she made to Michael back at the 2024 NTAs – declaring her love for the celebrity hairdresser. 

At the time, Davina, who picked up the Special Recognition Award that evening, joked that when she meant Michael Douglas she meant “the younger one, not the older one” in a jab to his shared name with the Hollywood actor married to Catherine Zeta-Jones. 

“I love being on this journey with you, you make me a better person and you make me so happy, thank you!,” she sweetly said. 

Michael was seen watching on from the audience with tears in his eyes as she spoke about him. 

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Sources have shared how the couple had opted to keep their wedding on Friday “very low key” before attending a friend’s wedding the following day. 

A friend added: “Their wedding was perfect, exactly what they wanted. They chose a small venue close to their home, and just invited about ten of their friends and relatives to be there with them.

“It was very intimate and everyone who attended is very special in their lives.”

They went on: “They’ve been through a huge amount in recent months, with Davina’s health, and it just felt right to formalise their marriage. They didn’t see the point in waiting.

“The next day they just carried on with life as normal, and as coincidence would have it they were guests at another friend’s wedding day.

“So they went as a married ­couple for the first time and happily showed off her wedding ring. It was the perfect weekend.”

Their happy day comes amid a string of health battles for Davina, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in November after finding a small lump. 

Davina shared the news and revealed she had been reminded to check her breasts by a campaign on ITV’s Lorraine Kelly show, and had caught it early. 

“It was very, very small, so I got it very, very early which is incredibly lucky,” she told fans. 

“But I am so relieved to have had it removed and to know that it has not spread.

“I’m talking about this because I think it might help someone. And this is what I always do.”

She added she was due to have five days of radiation to ensure the cancer was gone. The diagnosis comes just a year after she had a six-hour brain op after a benign but very rare tumour was discovered by chance when she was offered a scan.