Carol McGiffin Opens Up About Being Cancer-Free, Revealing She's Ready To Resume Partying Lifestyle

Carol's Ready To Party Again, Following Cancer Treatment
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Former ‘Loose Women’ panellist Carol McGiffin has admitted she has no plans to give up her partying lifestyle after beating cancer.

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The star was diagnosed with breast cancer in April last year, and after a mastectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy and 15 sessions of radiotherapy, she is now free from the disease and ready to begin living life the way she did before she fell ill.

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Carol McGiffin

“It’s great to go out and enjoy a meal and a bottle of wine with friends without falling asleep at 9pm!” the 55-year-old told Closer magazine.

“I don’t go out as much as I used to, but I still love a party - I’m not going to start knitting yet!”

Carol found a lump in her left breast while on holiday with her fiancé Mark Cassidy, and after she returned home, her GP confirmed that she had a highly-aggressive grade-three tumour.

However, she refused to be “freaked out” by the diagnosis, revealing she went to the pub to get drunk with Mark.

“Mark knows me well, so he doesn’t fuss over me. That say at the hospital, he didn’t say: ‘Let’s get you home to rest,’ he said: ‘Right, let’s go to the pub - it’s time for a drink,’” she said.

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Carol with fiancé Mark

“I didn’t need someone freaking out around me. It was bad enough, You need people to keep calm and carry on.”

She added that she only cried once in the following months, and she “never thought” about cancer as a “fight”, as to her it was “just about getting better”.

Now in remission, Carol said the experience hasn’t changed her outlook on life, adding: “I’ve always seized the day. It’s not made me think, ‘I must start jumping out of planes.’ I’m just glad to feel well.”

Fans could soon see Carol back on TV, as she’s in talks to front a new show with some of her former ‘Loose Women’ pals.

After quitting the show in August 2013, Carol and fellow alumni Denise Welch, Jane McDonald, Carol Vorderman and Lisa Maxwell, want to front a new programme to rival the ailing ITV daytime panel show.

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Carol with some of her former 'Loose Women' pals on a night out last week

Confirming the news to HuffPost UK at the TV Choice Awards earlier this week, Denise said: “We don’t want it just to be a carbon copy of ‘Loose Women’, we want to come up with a new format that will suit all our strengths. We’re in format discussions at the moment.

“We’re all still very, very good friends… it’s not something we considered until things started to be talked about, and we realised that there was definitely a public appetite for all of us to get together again,” she added.

'Loose Women': Where Are They Now?
Jane McDonald(01 of16)
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In what was quite an unexpected move, former cruise ship singer Jane announced recently that she was taking over as Grizabella in a UK touring production of 'Cats'.The role was previously held by Pussycat Dolls singer, Nicole Scherzinger. (credit:Twitter/Jane McDonald)
Carol McGiffin(02 of16)
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After revealing that she was recovering from breast cancer earlier this year, Carol has made several appearances on UK television, most notably on 'Big Brother's Bit On The Side'.As one of Denise Welch's closest 'Loose Women' confidants, she's pretty much a dead cert for their new project too. (credit:Keith Hewitt via Getty Images)
Denise Welch(03 of16)
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Since leaving the world of presenting, Denise has returned to her first love of acting, starring in a theatre production of 'Steel Magnolias', and more recently the transgender BBC sitcom, 'Boy Meets Girl'. (credit:BBC)
Lisa Maxwell(04 of16)
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Lisa quit 'Loose Women' shortly after Carol McGiffin and Denise Welch, claiming it was "not the same show" as when she first joined.Since starring in a brief story arc in 'EastEnders', Lisa has kept it on the down-low, but was rumoured last year to be touring the UK with Denise and Carol as part of a theatre show, which would mix storytelling from their 'Loose' days with acting scenes. (credit:BBC)
Lesley Garrett(05 of16)
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Opera singer Lesley is currently gearing up for the release of her 16th album, 'Centre Stage', which will see her covering a host of songs from musical theatre.Fingers crossed for 'I Know Him So Well, feat. Jane McDonald'. (credit:John Snelling via Getty Images)
Beverley Callard(06 of16)
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During her break from 'Coronation Street' days, 'Loose Women' viewers might remember seeing Beverley on the panel for a time, during which she also married her husband, Jon McEwan.Now, of course, Beverley is back where she belongs, behind the bar of the Rover's Return, as Liz McDonald. (credit:ITV)
Carol Vorderman(07 of16)
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It's safe to say Carol Vorderman isn't exactly sitting round with her feet up since departing from 'Loose Women'.In fact, Vorders is away from our screens an increasing amount at the moment, while she prepares to fly solo around the world with her plane, Mildred, after acquiring her pilot's license. (credit:Twitter/Carol Vorderman)
Kate Thornton(08 of16)
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Kate told The Sun that she had enrolled in a counselling course after being fired from 'Loose Women', due to the fact her TV career had "hit the curb".That said, she has hosted the 'Strictly Come Dancing' live tour, and even had her own show on BBC Radio 2, titled 'Paper Cuts', interviewing Jennifer Saunders, Paul O'Grady and Cilla Black. (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Sally Lindsay(09 of16)
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Like Denise, former 'Corrie' actress Sally has returned to acting since leaving 'Loose Women'.She has a leading part in the Sky series, 'Mount Pleasant', and recently took on a meatier role in the BBC drama, 'Ordinary Lies', opposite Jason Manford, Jo Joyner and Michelle Keegan. (credit:BBC)
Cilla Black(10 of16)
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After a career in the entertainment industry spanning six decades, Cilla sadly died in August 2015, after suffering a fall while on holiday at her home in Spain.The week of her funeral, her greatest hits collection 'The Very Best Of Cilla Black' topped the UK album chart. (credit:Paul Hampartsoumian/REX)
Sarah Milican(11 of16)
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In her post-'Loose' career, Sarah has gone on to become one of the UK's leading and most loved stand-up comedians, even landing her own comedy series, 'The Sarah Millican Television Programme'.Last year, she married her fellow stand-up, Gary Delaney. (credit:Brian J Ritchie/Hotsauce/REX)
Myleene Klass(12 of16)
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She may no longer be living the 'Loose' life, but just try and keep Myleene away from telly.In 2015 alone she's appeared on Dictionary Corner on 'Countdown' and hosted 'BBQ Champ', and is currently filming a new documentary, 'Singing In The Rainforest', which will see her making music with indigenous tribespeople.What's more, she's also rumoured to be presenting a segment live from Judges' Houses in this year's 'X Factor'. (credit:Dave J Hogan via Getty Images)
Lynda Bellingham(13 of16)
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The great Lynda Bellingham sadly died last year, after a battle with colon cancer, but spent her last months trying to raise awareness of the disease, including one memorable final appearance on 'Loose Women', which had all of us in floods of tears. (credit:Rex/ITV)
Jackie Brambles(14 of16)
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Jackie Brambles was recently spotted with several of her fellow 'Loose Women', enjoying a break in Blackpool - so you can bet your bottom dollar that whatever show they end up creating, she'll be a part of it. (credit:Ferdaus Shamim via Getty Images)
Trish Adudu(15 of16)
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Not one of the first women who springs to mind when we think of 'Loose Women', but Trish was one of the show's original panellists, before leaving the show in 2002.She makes occasionally presenting regional news, and last year hosted segments on 'Inside Out' and 'The One Show'. Trish also teaches media studies to teenagers at a school in Coventry. (credit:Rex/ITV)
Karren Brady(16 of16)
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Yep, let it never be forgotten that the 'Apprentice' assistant and new Conservative party life peer, Baroness Brady, was also once a 'Loose Women' presenter. (credit:Mark Robert Milan via Getty Images)