Nadia Sawalha struggled to hold back tears during Thursday's edition of Loose Women as she delivered an emotional tribute to her close friend Hannah Gardner.
The 39-year-old passed away on December 27 following a 13-year fight against breast cancer, having first received her diagnosis in 2013.
Ms Gardner had been a familiar face on the ITV daytime programme, appearing multiple times to discuss her illness and campaign for better treatment access.
Thursday's show, presented by Kaye Adams alongside panellists Denise Welch and Sunetra Sarker, marked the first occasion Ms Sawalha had spoken publicly about her friend's death on television.
Thursday's show marked the first occasion Ms Sawalha had spoken publicly about her friend's death on television
|ITV
"Nadia, it's been a really tough Christmas for you, hasn't it, because you lost your amazing friend Hannah," Ms Adams said, introducing the segment.
Ms Sawalha recounted how she and Ms Gardner first crossed paths during a charity expedition in the Himalayas for breast cancer awareness organisation CoppaFeel.
"We first met on a trek for breast cancer, for Coppafeel, so we were hanging off the side of the Himalayas, and we were both really scared of heights," she explained.
The television presenter described how their connection formed rapidly, partly due to their shared cultural backgrounds.
Nadia Sawalha opened up to her co-hosts on the show
|ITV
"Her dad is Iraqi and my dad is Jordanian, so we had a culture feel for each other, and I just adored her right from day one," Ms Sawalha said.
During the trek, the pair also formed close bonds with two other women, Caz and Lorraine, producer Helen Addis, with the group affectionately calling themselves the "fab four".
Ms Sawalha spoke of her friend's selfless nature, becoming visibly emotional as she reflected on their bond.
"She was so beautiful and so kind. I know people often talk about bravery, she once said, ‘None of you ever say I was brave, please’, but I’m going to," the presenter said.
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Nadia Sawalha and Hannah Gardner met years ago during a charity trek in the Himalayas for the breast cancer charity CoppaFeel!
|The timing of Ms Gardner's death was seen as characteristic of her thoughtful personality.
"She died on December 27, but her friend Sarah said, 'Isn't that just so Hannah? She wasn't going to go on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, because she was thinking of everybody and their day'," Ms Sawalha recalled.
"Her family are just devastated," she added.
Ms Gardner had made several appearances on Loose Women to advocate for NHS access to Enhertu, a targeted cancer medication designed to shrink tumours and slow disease progression.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence rejected approval of the drug, determining the cost was too high, despite trials showing it could extend the time cancer was held at bay from seven months to more than two years.
Ms Sawalha revealed that Enhertu could have given her friend an additional six months of life.
The programme aired a clip of Ms Gardner thanking viewers for their support, in which she said: "I don't think we speak about secondary breast cancer enough and I do wonder if it being incurable makes it feel like a bit of a dark conversation to have.
"But that's the point here, there can be so much hope to be had after diagnosis."
Nadia Sawalha and Hannah Gardner became well-known for their public campaign to improve access to life-prolonging cancer treatments in England
|Ms Sawalha had been at Ms Gardner's bedside at the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher just hours before she passed away.
During that final visit, Ms Gardner made a specific request of her friend regarding the television programme that had given her a platform.
"She did say to me when she was in the hospice, 'If you talk about me on Loose Women, will you please, please say to the Loose Women audience, thank you so much for the way that they supported me,'" Ms Sawalha recalled.
Ms Gardner, a former clinical trial manager, leaves behind a young daughter.
Breaking down after watching the tribute clip, Ms Sawalha expressed her gratitude to the programme.
"She was so proud of coming on this show and thanks for the support that everyone gave her," she said.
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