Una Healy has shared the devastating ordeal of one of her closest friends, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the age of 34, and how it has pushed the singer to look at life differently. 

The Saturdays star is known to be particularly passionate about health and fitness, regularly sharing body positive posts on social media and even taking part in the Comic Relief all-star competition for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham earlier this month. 

She also celebrated her milestone 40th birthday last October – despite not having aged a day in the past decade – but the personal heartbreak of her friend’s health battle means Una doesn’t take much stock of age these days.

‘It’s only another year, another number,’ she told Metro.co.uk ahead of launching her all-day breakfast cafe with Nutella today. 

‘I guess you can define your life in decades but it’s only another year and just a privilege to be here in such good health.’ 

Una then revealed: ‘I’ve got a really close friend of mine who has terminal cancer and she’s only 34 years old. It’s brought my whole life into perspective in terms of how lucky I am to be here and how every milestone we get to in life and how lucky we are, has changed my mindset completely on life.

‘I just feel so lucky and blessed to be in good health at this age. I will admit though, I definitely take better care of myself now and think more consciously about what I eat and exercise, that’s all to do with the fact that’s who I am no matter what you have to look after yourself because you can’t turn back the clock.’ 

She added poignantly of her friend’s cancer battle: ‘It’s very sad.’ 

Una, who is mum to daughter Aoife, 10, and son Tadgh, seven, recalled how she didn’t feel fit when lockdown first started but has developed even more of a passion for working out over the past couple of years. 

‘I keep fit to the levels I know I can sustain, you have to work on it and persevere,’ she explained. 

However, Una was really put through her paces when she competed in Comic Relief’s celebrity tournament at the Commonwealth Games this summer. 

‘It was such an amazing experience, I’ve always been very active,’ she said. ‘As a child I was a competitive swimmer. When I got asked to do this, it was a challenge for me because I’d never done a relay. 

‘I was so excited and loved the whole experience. It was for Sport Relief as well and a lot of fun as well as being for such a great cause too.’  

The Nutella Happy Portion Parlour in Soho, a pop-up breakfast experience launched today until Saturday August 27. The Parlour will be delighting fans by showcasing the endless possibilities of one heaped teaspoon (15g) of Nutella with an amazing array of tasty breakfast dishes.

Macmillan cancer support

If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.

You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.

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