Former Coronation Street star Nigel Havers has opened up about losing his second wife Polly to ovarian cancer on Loose Women, urging men to get involved and speak to their partners about the condition.
Nigel, who sadly lost his wife Polly in 2004, discussed the condition on the show in a bid to encourage men to talk about gynaecological problems with their partners.
'It may be odd to have a man talk about gynaecological cancer problems but The Eve Appeal, of which I'm patron of, have got this month and it's for men and women to discuss this', he told the panel.
Stressing the importance of getting diagnosed as early as possible, Nigel encouraged women to speak to their partners if they're worried something might be wrong.
'Men, apparently, are a million miles from talking about that today. They find it embarrassing. If you have a problem, discuss it because it's all about early diagnosis.
Polly passed away in 2004
'It really does make a difference. Don't keep it to yourself, talk about it with your husband and your partner. There should be no embarrassment', the actor advised.
Polly was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998, after having a hysterectomy, and fought the condition for six years. Speaking of the moment his wife was diagnosed, Nigel described it as a 'shock'.
'It was that sudden. It was a major shock as you can imagine. That's a very tough one to get', he said.
The 65-year-old, who stopped working for the last three years of Polly's life, recalled accompanying her to her medical appointments.
'The first doctor that we saw we didn't really like. His manner was a bit brusque. So we went somewhere else and we found someone who was wonderful, so that's also important', he said.
Nigel remarried in 2007 to Georgiana Bronfman
Nigel, who has since remarried to Georgiana Bronfman, had previously opened up about his loss on on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, praising his wife's courage in her battle with the condition.
'It was a tragic thing of course because she was determined not to die. She was immensely brave but she fought it tooth and nail for years, six years', he said of the wife he was married to for 15 years.
'I gave up working for the last three because I wanted to be with her and make sure she was OK.'
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