“I’m going into the Big Brother house to show that you can’t be so scared of dying that you become frightened of living.”
Trisha Goddard
Introduction
Once the face of British daytime television with her lively chat show, Trisha on ITV, Trisha Goddard is someone I have long seen as an inspirational woman. This sassy and go-getting lady from Hackney started her television career in Australia in the 1980s on the ABC network with programmes like the 7:30 Report and Play School. In 1998, she launched her TV show, Trisha, on ITV and became the queen of daytime television. She later moved the programme to Channel 5 in 2004, where she remained for six years before the show ended in 2010. A move to the USA followed, and this lady who once spent time with Nelson Mandela with Mandela cradling her baby after decades of imprisonment on Robin Island has gone on to work with American greats like Jerry Springer and Maury Povich.
Stoic Resolve
Trisha’s drive in life is remarkable. She is a true survivor, having come through a horrific rape ordeal and bouts of mental health that took her to the very precipice of despair. You wouldn’t think looking at her that Trisha has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice with her latest cancer battle with stage four metastatic cancer – a treatable, but not curable, form of the disease. A form of breast cancer that is being treated with chemotherapy, cancer medications and palliative care. Her current appearance on ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother shows the steadfast resolve of this brave and gutsy black lady. Beyond the fame and lure of significant financial gain lies a mission to show a woman who is getting on with life despite the cards she has been dealt. Someone who can see past the side effects of cancer treatment and can still display that radiant smile and twinkle in her eyes that we all love her for. This 67-year-old is not prepared to lie down and let the wave of cancer wash over her. She has even found a miracle cancer treatment that is helping her on this journey of ill health.
She has been given her room on the show to take periods of rest and a team in the background to help her through the Big Brother experience. Trisha describes this period as “It’s my new normal.” This brave woman has learnt not to be afraid before scans now, taking cancer drugs that leave her with bouts of constipation and muscle aches and affect her taste and eyesight. A cancer that will not go away, but Trisha says, “I must keep enjoying what I have always enjoyed.” A 19-month battle that she kept from her CNN team while she underwent chemotherapy treatment. A period of time when she just carried on working despite the gruelling side effects. Not taking a single day off from work. A truly remarkable woman who deserves to be applauded and celebrated.
