‘He’s a wonderful friend’: Nick Knowles’ estranged wife reveals how he helped her through cancer battle
Jessica Knowles was diagnosed with cervical cancer aged just 28
THE estranged wife of TV presenter Nick Knowles has opened up about her cancer battle and how it was her husband who convinced her to see a doctor.
Jessica Knowles was diagnosed with cervical cancer last month at the age of just 28 and last week she underwent an operation to save her life.
But she said if it hadn’t been for Nick, who was there to hold her hand when she came round from the surgery, things might have turned out very different.
Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, she said: “The BBC gave him time off. He comes over and cooks me food. He’s even planted flowers in the garden as he wanted me to be surrounded by colour.”
Nick, who presents DIY SOS, and Jessica married in 2012 and have a two-year-old son called Edwin.
But she admitted that she has struggled in the wake of their split in January and found it hard to accept it was over between them.
She said: “He’s still there for me but it’s hard. I’m really sad we split. We’re really amicable. He’s still my best friend. I have so much respect and time for him. It’s been hard not being part of a couple.
“To not be able to lie next to the person you were with for eight years and tell them what you’re going through and how you’re scared.”
But she added: “If Nick met someone and was happy, I’d be happy. It wouldn’t be a problem.”
Earlier this month, Jessica took to her Instagram page and shared a collage of snaps of her and her son as she announced her diagnosis.
She wrote: “With sadness. After a brief period of being unwell I was unfortunately diagnosed, this week, with cervical cancer.
“Following on from a difficult year it has forced me to put a lot of things into perspective and really brought to light what matters; my health and Eddie.
“I am going to use this time to focus solely on my health and use all spare energy for making sure Eddie’s home life remains as happy and normal as positive.
“I have been so overwhelmed with love from friends and family and am a huge believer in ‘things happening for a reason’ and this will undoubtedly be a huge time of learning for me.
Mostly I’m grateful and feeling lucky it has been caught early as we are hopeful I can be treated with surgery. “
And treated she was as she underwent radical trachelectomy – keyhole surgery to remove the cervix – and diseased lymph nodes were cut out.
And she wrote: “Despite my circumstances I have so much to be thankful for – I’m so thankful to my family for dropping everything to support me, I’m grateful to Nick’s work for allowing him to take time off to stay at home with Eddie, I’m so thankful to all the doctors and especially my surgeon that are doing everything they can to cure me, the nurses at the Royal Marsden who are the most caring people I’ve ever met and I’m so thankful for the most incredible friends in the world.
“Now I have another thing to be thankful for – all of you! Most of whom I’ve never met but you’ve all made me smile. It’s been a long week of mixed emotions and I’ve got a little way to go yet.
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