Race for Life women pay their tributes

CELEBRITIES praised Jade Goody and paid tribute to Wendy Richard yesterday as they posed for a live billboard advert promoting Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life.

Singer Ruth Lorenzo and actresses Lynda Bellingham and Laila Morse were among well-known faces taking part in a police-style line-up, reminiscent of the movie The Usual Suspects, near St Paul’s Cathedral.

Bellingham spoke about the publicity surrounding former EastEnders star Richard, who died last week after suffering from cancer and Goody, who has highlighted the illness with her own very public cancer battle.

Bellingham said: “For every Jade or Wendy there are hundreds of people battling on their own out there.”

Speaking about Goody, Bellingham said: “My deepest, deepest sincere thoughts go with her.”

Bellingham said she had lost three people to cancer last week, one of whom was Richard.

Asked how you cope with such a loss, she replied: “You don’t.”

Now in its 16th series, Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event. To sign up for a Race for Life event or for information go to www.race forlife.org/ifICanDoit