The heartbreaking account of an 11-year-old girl who bravely shared her experience on camera as she faced cancer for the fourth and final time, left TV stars in floods of tears last night after her emotional Stand Up To Cancer film was broadcast nationally during C4’s Celebrity Gogglebox, just months after she passed away.
Elizabeth Rooney from Gosport in Hampshire was first diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of three when a neuroendocrine tumour was discovered in the tissue surrounding her eye. Despite having her eye removed in 2020 to prevent it coming back, Elizabeth’s cancer returned just weeks after losing her mum, Charlotte Lewis, to breast cancer last October.
Shortly afterwards, Elizabeth chose to tell her story in an emotive Stand Up To Cancer film to raise awareness and help others – something she felt passionately about throughout her short life. It was broadcast for the first time on Channel 4 on Wednesday ahead of the night of live television on Friday.
Celebrity Gogglebox featured stars including actor Stephen Graham, father and son Jeff and Bobby Brazier, former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and her rugyby player fiance Thom Evans, Bob Mortimer and actor Richard Ayoade and Jennifer Saunders.
Elizabeth's story reduced Stephen Graham to tears and had a visible effect on Jennifer Saunders and her daughter Beattie Edmondson.