Janey Godley, the much-loved comedian, has tragically passed away following a brave battle with ovarian cancer. The 63 year old had been spending her final weeks in a hospice surrounded by her loved ones.
Her manager confirmed her passing and said she would be "hugely missed by her family, friends and her many fans".
The funnywoman first revealed her diagnosis in November 2021 after noticing worrying symptoms while on tour. Speaking to The Shift with Sam Baker podcast the following June, Janey opened up about feeling "tired all the time" before receiving the devastating news from her doctor.
She recalled: "I thought, it's normal because I'd just come through the lockdowns and I had been through quite a lot emotionally, so maybe I'm just tired."
However, upon returning to Glasgow, she noticed something alarming. "And then when I got to Glasgow, I remember standing in a hotel room and lifting my jumper up and my tummy looked like I was seven months pregnant, but I wasn't eating much and I didn't understand why I was so big.", reports the Daily Record.
She continued: "Every time I went to eat I felt full and I just couldn't get any food down me. I was living on something like 600 calories a day, I was having to just eat soup because that's the only thing I could get down, and I thought 'this isn't right'."
Janey attended a doctor's appointment where she was told 'there's something in there' after an examination of her stomach, leading to further blood tests. The following day, the doctor confirmed that there was "probably a presence of cancer" based on the test results.
Despite the alarming news, Janey carried on with her show, performing a gig in Perth. However, she revealed that the next day she had to be rushed to hospital with "terrible pains", where she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and coronavirus.
She shared: "My husband and daughter both had covid as well, we all had covid. They were dying, and I was absolutely fine. I'm walking about the house crying going 'I've got cancer' and they're like 'can I get a wee chopped egg in a cup, I'm really ill'."
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PA Archive)Following a hysterectomy, she also underwent chemotherapy, during which she posted a touching photo of her husband shaving off her long curly hair before 'chemo took it from her'. After successfully completing the treatment, Janey was given the all-clear but then she tragically faced a setback when further scans indicated the return of the disease within her abdomen.
She continued to work as she entered 2024, performing dates across the country in towns and cities including Bristol, Epsom, Norwich and Milton Keynes as part of her Not Dead Yet tour. But in September 2024, Janey was forced to cancel her Why Is She Still Here? tour after contracting sepsis.
Mere days after sharing with social media followers that she was receiving "end-of-life" care, the star has tragically moved into hospice care as her cancer battle intensified.
Revealing she could no longer undergo chemotherapy treatment, Godley opened up about the "devastating news", saying: "The chemo ran out of options, and I couldn't take anymore of it. The cancer has spread, so it looks like this will be getting to near the end of it, and it's really difficult to speak about this and say it to people."
"It is devastating news, to know that I'm facing end of life but we all come to an end some time."
Further expressing her feelings, she remarked: "I don't know how long I've got left before anybody asks, I'm not a tick tock, I just want you all to know that I appreciate all the love you've gave me. Cancer affects one in two people and it's affected me."
Janey is mourned by her loving husband Sean and daughter Ashley.
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