Samantha Womack recuperating after undergoing breast cancer operation

Samantha Womack is recuperating after undergoing a breast cancer operation.

The former 'EastEnders' actress, 49, revealed earlier this month that she was battling the disease, and she is now resting up after going under the knife.

Sam - who is dating former 'Coronation Street’ actor Oliver Farnworth, 39 - wrote on Instagram: "Recuperating after breast cancer op. My love makes me turmeric and ginger in the morning and homemade butternut squash soup in the evening……. #feeling loved and grateful (sic)"

The 'Babes in the Wood' star took to Twitter less than two weeks ago to pay tribute to actress Olivia Newton-John - who fought breast cancer for 30 years - following her death earlier that week aged 73, and during her heartfelt post Samantha revealed she was starting her own "battle with [the] disease", and she was "deeply moved" following the 'Grease' star's passing.

Sam shared a picture of herself, Olivia and Olivia's daughter Chloe, 36, after they went to see the 'Mount Pleasant' actress when she was playing Sandy - Olivia's character' in the 1978 movie - in the West End.

She captioned the image: "This was the most magical of evenings. Olivia and Chloe had come to see Grease in London and we had dinner together afterwards. I was so excited and in awe, she was my childhood. I now start my own battle with this disease and am left feeling deeply moved. #OliviaNewtonJohn (sic)"

The star - who played Ronnie Mitchell in 'EastEnders' from 2007 to 2017 - recently admitted she feels "proud" she is able to speak to her ex-husband Mark Womack, who she split from in 2020, "two or three times a day".

Sam - who has two kids, Benjamin, 21, and 17-year-old Lily, with her ex - said: "Mark and I raised a family really well, so we agreed that we didn’t mind separating in terms of a traditional marriage, but actually I would really have suffered if we hadn’t maintained a friendship, because that was part of my life for 20 years.

"We speak to each other two or three times a day, Mark will say, ‘Can I pop round next week – can you have the two Chihuahuas?’ and I’ll say, 'Yeah, but can you have the cat next week?' "