Samantha Womack Reveals Dog's Death Was More Devastating Than Cancer Diagnosis
Former EastEnders star Samantha Womack has opened up about the profound impact of her beloved dog's death, describing it as feeling "worse for me than the breast cancer diagnosis". The actress, best known for playing Ronnie Mitchell in the BBC soap, shared these deeply personal reflections in a candid interview with The Sunday Times.
The Devastating Double Blow
Womack's world was turned upside down in 2022 when she received two life-altering pieces of news within just one month. First came her diagnosis with an aggressive stage three breast cancer, discovered during a routine check-up despite having no symptoms or lump. "We saw this little black shadow that wasn't a circle," she recalled of the ultrasound, explaining that she immediately suspected cancer due to the tumor's unusual shape.
Then, just weeks later, her rescue dog Lola passed away. "Losing Lola was probably worse for me than the breast cancer diagnosis," Womack revealed. "It made everything seem real." She described the day her dog died as "one of the worst" in her life, leaving her completely devastated.
Life-Changing Decisions
The combination of these traumatic events prompted Womack to make significant changes to her life. "That was when I decided to stop working and focus on getting better," she explained. The actress, who had been performing in The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe when diagnosed, put her career on hold and moved to Valencia, Spain to concentrate on her health and recovery.
Remarkably, Lola's death occurred on the same day as Queen Elizabeth II's passing in September 2022, a coincidence that Womack noted had "changed the course of her life" by prompting her return to Spain where she had previously lived.
Treatment and Recovery Journey
Womack underwent both chemotherapy and radiotherapy for her cancer, describing the experience as "so adrenaline-fueled" and "weird", with the whole period feeling like "all a blur". She expressed gratitude that the cancer was caught when it was, acknowledging that if discovered later, it could have been a "death sentence".
Thankfully, just five months after her diagnosis, Womack received the all-clear. Throughout her recovery, she found comfort in her other dogs, particularly a podenco called Xena who she described as her "warrior princess" during the challenging treatment period.
Career Highlights and Personal Life
Before finding fame as an actress, Womack first made her name representing the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1991. Her acting career took off with her iconic role as Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders, where she was involved in major storylines including:
- The emotional return of her long-lost daughter Danielle
- The dramatic baby-swap plot involving Kat and Michael Moon's son Tommy
- Her character's eventual death on her wedding day
Following her time on the soap, Womack appeared as Michelle Unwin in both Kingsman films and played Caroline Wingrove in The Marlow Murder Club. She has also enjoyed success in stage productions including The Addams Family Musical, The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, and Dear England.
Public Sharing of Grief
At the time of Lola's death, Womack shared her heartbreak publicly on Instagram, writing: "My heart is broken. My soulmate Lola. Cannot cope with losing you, not now..." She had rescued Lola from Goa in 2019, and the bond between them was clearly profound.
The actress now lives in Spain with her five dogs, having found peace and healing in her new environment following the traumatic events of 2022. Her story highlights the deep emotional connections people can form with their pets and how these relationships can profoundly affect our lives, sometimes in ways that even major health diagnoses cannot match.
