LOVELY and lively actress Lynda Bellingham has revealed the sad news that she has only weeks to live.

She has an invasive, terminal cancer and has decided to give up chemotherapy treatment. Lynda has chronicled her feelings in her moving book Memoir, published this month, and there’s no doubt her fans will be very upset by her plight.

She suffered from being typecast early in her career as the homely mum in the Oxo adverts - she once told me in an interview that she always longed for raunchier roles but they never materialised. She remains a much-loved actress, however, and many Northern fans flocked to see her last performances in the touring sell-out play Calendar Girls.

She’s now being her brave and bright self for the sake of her family, friends and fans although she’s bound to have dark times. Whatever happens next, she’s made an enduring mark in people’s lives. Not everyone leaves that indelible impression.