Entertainment
Jane Seymour recalls friend Dame Olivia Newton-John’s final months before death aged 73: ‘It wasn’t a life for her’-Alicia Adejobi-Entertainment – Metro
The two struck up a friendship in the 1970s.
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Jane Seymour has shared an insight into the final months of late Grease actress Dame Olivia Newton-John who has died.
The iconic actress died at her home in California on Monday at the age of 73.
A cause of death has not been given but Dame Olivia had endured a highly-publicised battle with breast cancer, which she spent the latter years of her life raising awareness for.
British actress Jane, 71, struck up a friendship with the late star in the 1970s, when her dad delivered Dame Olivia’s sister’s baby, and the two remained close friends over the years.
Reacting to the Physical singer’s death, Jane told Richard Madeley and Charlotte Hawkins on Good Morning Britain: ‘I thought she was going to pass away two or three years ago and I thought this is the last time I’m going to see her. She was skeletal, frail and in a lot of pain, and I just thought, I’m going to get that call next week.’
Dame Olivia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 and then experienced two recurrences of the condition – first in 2013 and then again in 2017, when it progressed to stage four and spread to her bones.
Dame Olivia and Jane became friends in the 1970s (Picture: Rex Features)
Dame Olivia died at her home in California on Monday (Picture: Rex Features)
Praising her resilience, Jane continued: ‘She just kept bouncing back. She loved life, she loved her husband, her daughter. She hung in there a really, really long time and she was in so much pain and those of us who knew her at the end, we didn’t want her to go, but at the same time it wasn’t a life anymore for her in the end.’
Jane admitted she didn’t want to see her friend go but is relieved Dame Olivia is no longer in pain (Picture: EPA)
Dame Olivia will be remembered for her iconic performance as Sandy in Grease alongside John Travolta (Picture: REX/AP)
The Live and Let Die actress recalled when Dame Olivia first began suffering health issues, saying: ‘I remember when she first had the back problem because she called me from Vegas when she was performing there.
‘She said, “Jane what do I do, my back’s hurting?” Who knew that was actually cancer in her spine, that was devastating. But John has always helped her through it and has been incredible, he’s an expert in herbs and all kinds of medicine and she lived in peace.
‘The last time I sat there I was in the back and she didn’t know I was I coming, she got the day wrong, she came out and just kept looking around and said, “Look at those hummingbirds, look at the sky, look at nature, isn’t it beautiful?”’
‘That’s who she was, she just grabbed every moment,’ Jane added.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
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