Linda Robson has revealed she nearly died and spent ten days in intensive care after undergoing major surgery on her pancreas.
The Loose Women star, 68, suffered the 'petrifying' health scare earlier this year, and has now revealed doctors battled to save her.
Linda revealed she was forced to have the surgery after doctors discovered gallstones had damaged her pancreas.
She said: 'I was petrified in intensive care. I thought I was going to die.
'I had to have most of my pancreas removed because there were two tumours in a difficult position. I had to have a brain scan as well.'
Linda went on to credit her friends and loved ones for rallying round her during the health scare, and said they helped her to get through it.
Linda Robson has revealed she nearly died and spent ten days in intensive care after undergoing major surgery on her pancreas
She told The Sun: 'Seeing my kids' faces got me through it. They were at the hospital all the time. They've been amazing.'
Linda was forced to take a break from Loose Women last year after doctors found a small cyst on the pancreas which is behind the stomach.
The star has spoken openly about her struggles in recent years, including a mental breakdown, which she detailed in her 2024 memoir.
Linda previously revealed that her children became her carers when she became 'so low she couldn't be left alone'.
The ITV star overcame an addiction to alcohol as well as struggles with depression and OCD, leading to three stints in rehab.
Speaking on Loose Women in March, Linda explained: 'My children were my carers when I was mentally ill. There was a point when I got so low I couldn't be left alone.'
'I wasn't allowed to see my grandchildren until I was better. It was four years ago now and they still say "mum I'm so glad you are better, we never thought we'd get you back".'
Back in 2018, Linda became dependent on alcohol after bring prescribed a drug which was meant to help with her depression - leading to three stints in rehab.
Reflecting on the experience during a Loose Women episode, Linda explained: 'I went through a really tough time, I was depressed and I turned to alcohol and had cleaning OCD.
The Birds Of A Feather star (pictured on the show), suffered the 'petrifying' health scare earlier this year, and credited her friends and loved ones for helping her through it
'I used to always have a glass of wine or spritzers in the evening, come 10 o'clock at night, but never in the daytime. And then I got put on medication that sent me a bit mad.
'I got put on a certain drug which was supposed to help the depression but it didn't it just heightened it, so I had to go into three different establishments and it was the worst time in my life, I completely ruined my family's lives'.
Recalling one specific low point, Linda referenced a trip she was on with fellow Loose Women pals - in which she had to return home early from.
She explained: 'We were in Ibiza and I broke down in front of all the girls, Stacey had to take me home and she took me into The Priory.'
'I had really bad depression and was self-harming, I was cleaning everywhere I went and washing my sheets every night when I got home'.
She took a year off from Loose Women, making her grand return to the show in January 2020.
Elsewhere, Linda has been sharing updates on her longtime friend and co-star Pauline Quirke, after it was revealed she's been diagnosed with dementia.
Pauline stepped away from the limelight after she was diagnosed with life-altering dementia in 2021.
And through her, Linda has been committed to keeping up with their lifelong friendship, revealing on BBC Breakfast that the duo are still meeting up despite Pauline's condition.
In an emotional update, Linda revealed that the last time she saw her long-term friend, she was 'happy' and 'laughing', and praised her family for 'looking after her really well'.
Recalling the last time they met up, the actress revealed: 'We met up about three or four weeks ago at a restaurant.
'It was so lovely. She was just giggling, and just really enjoying it, she ate everything as well. I left there happy because she was happy, and I knew they were looking after her really well.'
WHAT ARE GALLSTONES?
Gallstones are lumps of solid material that form in the gallbladder.
In the UK, up to one in ten adults have the condition. It affects around 15 per cent of people in the US.
Gallstones can resemble grains of sand or large pebbles.
They are formed from chemicals in bile and can consist of just cholesterol, a mixture of calcium and a pigment from red blood cells, or a combination of the two.
Gallstones have been linked to high-cholesterol diets, as well as liver damage and fasting.
Most people are unaware they have gallstones.
The most common symptom is abdominal pain, which can last up to eight hours and be severe.
This may be mistaken for a heart attack.
Pain occurs due to the gallbladder trying to expel the stones.
If gallstones have been discovered via a scan for something else and are not causing symptoms, they are often left without treatment.
Gallbladder inflammation may require antibiotics to be administered in hospital.
Severe symptoms may lead to people having the organ removed.
The gallbladder, which is involved in digestion, is not essential for life.
Source: British Liver Trust