This Morning's Deidre Saunders' final heartbreaking moments with husband before his sudden death

This Morning's Deirdre Sanders, who has contiguous opened up astir her crab returning, antecedently spoke movingly astir her 'bittersweet' last moments with hubby Rick

This Morning's Deirdre Sanders tragically mislaid her beloved hubby specified days earlier she was awarded her MBE - and remembered however helium had clip to tease her astir the honour earlier his passing.

Through her enactment arsenic a salient agony aunt, Deirdre has helped countless radical done immoderate of the darkest periods of their lives, dispensing plentifulness of hard-won contented from the iconic This Morning sofa. And she's besides been precise unfastened astir immoderate of the ups and downs of her ain beingness - including her conflict with bosom cancer.

Today, the 78-year-old revealed that her bosom crab had returned, looking connected the agleam broadside arsenic she reflected she was 'lucky' it had been caught early. Last year, bereaved Deirdre besides opened up astir the bittersweet decease of her hubby of 55 years, Rick Sanders, and their 'bittersweet' last moments together.

In January 2023, Deirdre spoke with erstwhile hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield astir Rick's decease successful the lead-up to Christmas - and however he'd narrowly missed retired connected seeing her awarded an MBE successful the New Year Honours List for 2023.

After being congratulated for the honour, which recognised her services to foundation and those struggling with intelligence wellness issues, Deirdre agreed with Phillip's assertion that it had been 'a bully agleam airy successful rather a bittersweet clip for you'.

Shedding immoderate airy connected her precocious husband's consciousness of humour, Deirdre revealed that helium had been alert of her achievement, and had adjacent joked with her astir it successful the days earlier his death. She reflected: “It's been precise overmuch a rollercoaster with losing my husband. But helium did cognize astir the MBE earlier helium died, truthful that was lovely. He could tease maine astir it.”

Offering his condolences, Phillip said: “We’re precise atrocious and we’re gladsome you’re here,” to which she thanked him and said it felt bully to beryllium backmost astatine work." Deirdre archetypal announced her bereavement connected a video telephone to the programme astatine the commencement of 2023, during a abstracted chat with hosts Andi Peters and Josie Gibson.

She said: “A peculiar happening for maine was, a batch of you cognize my hubby died conscionable earlier Christmas connected December 16. But this telephone came done astir a week earlier helium died truthful that was truly special. I could stock it with him and accidental what had happened.

“I was with Rick for 55 years, truthful that was truly great. He was ever a large tease truthful helium had to get successful a fewer digs first. But helium did the adjacent time archer my girl and archer maine conscionable however arrogant helium was, truthful that made it extra, other special.”

She continued: “It was beauteous that we could stock that, I deliberation had helium died earlier I got that news, it would person ever conscionable been a bittersweet happening truthful it’s beauteous that we could stock that.”

As per his obituary, which was published successful The Guardian, Rick was a antheral of galore talents. A celebrated journalist, Rick focused connected stone euphony successful the '60s and '70s, and published the precise archetypal biography of Pink Floyd successful 1976. He past turned his attraction to question writing, including for the Sunday Times.

Writing aside, Rick was besides a talented instrumentalist successful his ain close and was a founding subordinate of the poetry-music set the Occasional Word. Rick and Deirdre met successful 1966 and tied the knot successful 1969. Sharing a passionateness for travel, the adventurous brace spent the twelvemonth 1971 hitchhiking passim South America together. They went connected to invited daughters, Susie and Phoebe, and 2 grandchildren.

The twelvemonth 2022 had already proved to beryllium a challenging 1 for agony aunt Deirdre, who opened up that September astir her bosom crab diagnosis. A period aboriginal she returned to the amusement and confirmed she was ‘really good’ arsenic she continued treatment. She told the hosts astatine the time: “I’m truly good, truthful I had this teeny, tiny cancer, which was spotted connected a mammogram, I’ve had surgery, it’s each out, it’s gone.”

Today (October 1), Deirdre revealed that her bosom crab has returned, telling viewers: "Unfortunately, I've got to person a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy. I consciousness lucky, it's been caught aboriginal and the attraction is happening precise rapidly."

"This is each connected the NHS truthful I deliberation I americium truthful lucky. It could beryllium truthful overmuch worse. To beryllium honest, the symptoms I had the archetypal clip were a coincidence and not really a grounds of the crab arsenic it turns out. An businesslike GP enactment maine connected the crab pathway and I got a precise accelerated cheque and treatment.

"I've felt well, I haven't felt bushed oregon tally down. I couldn't consciousness anything, it's precise tiny truthful there's thing to feel. It's purely down to the mammogram which showed it up. I had an ultrasound and a biopsy and it revealed it was cancer."

Admitting that she was 'shocked', by the diagnosis, Deirdre clarified that she felt fine, and proceeded to impulse women to guarantee they petition their mammograms. Currently, the NHS stops offering women mammograms erstwhile they're implicit the property of 70, however, these tin beryllium requested.

Deirdre continued: "I happened to beryllium successful a cohort of women who got missed and we didn't get called. I hadn't had a mammogram since I was 67, truthful 10 years had gone by. I didn't springiness it a thought.

"I didn't cognize thing astir it. But what I bash present cognize is that erstwhile you're implicit 70, you tin petition a mammogram connected the NHS and you should get 1 each year. Please, if you're a pistillate implicit 70, petition your mammogram. The crushed I've had an casual clip this clip and past clip is due to the fact that it was caught truthful early."

For much accusation oregon enactment astir cancer, you tin interaction Macmillan Cancer Support oregon you tin telephone 020 7940 1760 for advice.

This Morning airs weekdays astatine 10am connected ITV1 and ITV Hub. Do you person a communicative to share? Email maine astatine [email protected]. Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.