Samantha Womack has spoken candidly about the series of events that led her to relocate to Spain, revealing that the death of her beloved dog came just weeks after her breast cancer diagnosis and prompted her to step back from work to focus on recovery.
The EastEnders actress, 53, said the loss of her dog Lola in September 2022 was one of the most devastating moments of her life, compounding the emotional toll of her recent diagnosis. Womack rescued Lola from Goa, India, in 2019 after she and her daughter, Lili-Rose, bonded with the dog during a three-week trip.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Womack described Lola’s death as the moment her health crisis became real. She said the loss affected her even more deeply than the cancer diagnosis itself, prompting her to reassess her priorities. Shortly afterward, she decided to stop working and move to Valencia to concentrate fully on her physical and emotional wellbeing.
Womack received the all-clear five months after her diagnosis, but described the period as deeply challenging. She said that without losing Lola, she may not have taken the step of returning to Spain and taking a year off to focus on healing, adding that the experience ultimately changed the course of her life.
Lola had been a constant companion, even accompanying Womack on tour during her run in The Girl on the Train and appearing backstage and on stage with her. Following Lola’s death, Womack welcomed another rescue dog, a podenco named Xena, whom she described as a “warrior princess” who arrived at a time when she needed strength and resilience herself.
The actress later paid tribute to Lola in an emotional Instagram post, sharing a series of photos and writing that she was heartbroken by the loss. Just a month earlier, Womack had publicly revealed her cancer diagnosis while paying tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John, who died from complications related to breast cancer.
Womack, best known for playing Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders from 2007 to 2017, said her cancer was discovered during a routine check-up. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy for an aggressive form of the disease, she continued performing in West End productions, including The Girl on the Train and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
She has since reflected on the intensity of treatment and the shock of navigating an unfamiliar medical world, describing the experience as overwhelming but life-saving. Womack has said that had the cancer been detected later, the outcome could have been far more serious, adding that listening to her instincts played a crucial role in her survival.
