Sam Fox's hidden family heartache behind Celebrity MasterChef appearance
Sam Fox has revealed the secret family heartache surrounding her appearance on Celebrity MasterChef.
The singer and former Page 3 girl will make her big TV comeback tonight to compete against pop star Jamelia, drag queen Cheryl Hole, Rudimental star DJ Locksmith and opera singer Wynne Evans, who is also famous for appearing in the Go.Compare adverts.
Each celebrity will battle it out in a bid to win a place in the Celebrity MasterChef semi-final alongside The Wanted’s Max George, comedians Marcus Brigstocke and Shazia Mirza and former Gogglebox star Mica Ven.
But 57-year-old Sam’s time on the show is bittersweet as she revealed her younger sister Vanessa died around the time they were filming – and had been helping her practise her dishes for the BBC cooking show.
“I practised for a good couple of weeks with my sister, because my sister is a fantastic cook and she’s got four children so she’s always cooked, and probably more so than me,” Sam told The One Show.
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“And she has always done the best cottage pie ever and so we practised together and I taped it. You can hear her – she’s my younger sister – and she was bossing me around and going, ‘You’ve got to clear as you go, clear as you go. You’re so messy Sammy.’”
Sam Fox will make her TV comeback on Celebrity MasterChef tonight (BBC)Fighting back tears, Sam continued: “Thank God I got that on film, but unfortunately I lost my sister just after the filming of MasterChef so I’d like to dedicate – my cottage pie was my sister’s recipe.
“I’ve still got all of her pots and all of her mashed potato things. She’s going to be so proud – and she was so proud – when I got the show, because she’s a massive fan.”
Sam’s sister Vanessa had a heart attack earlier this year and collapsed at home. The mum-of-four was rushed to hospital and put in an induced coma, but sadly died a week later at the age of just 50.
A statement released at the time said: "Sam would like to thank the wonderful doctors and nurses for their care and support. Sam and her family respectfully ask for privacy at this difficult time."
Sam with her beloved younger sister Vanessa, who died earlier this year (ANL/REX/Shutterstock)The news is the latest heartache to hit Sam, who only had one full sister from her dad's first marriage to her mum, Carole Ann Wilken. The 80s pop star recently opened up about the death of her partner Myra Stratton who died of cancer in 2015.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Sam said that looking after her partner of 16 years while she was dying was "one of the hardest things" she has ever had to do, sharing: "It certainly puts life into perspective. When you go through something like that, you certainly grow up and see life for what it really is.
"She [Myra] was very, very brave and I think anybody looking after somebody dying of cancer is very, very brave too. It's one of the hardest things I think I've ever been through and I've been through a lot in my life with my career and my life... It's tough."
Although she never expected to find love again, Sam tied the knot with new wife Linda Olsen in 2020 and has even spoken about releasing new music now she feels ready to write songs again.
*Watch Celebrity MasterChef on Wednesdays at 9pm BBC1 or catch up on BBC iPlayer
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