Former EastEnders star Wendy Richard has insisted she's not in any rush to shuffle off the mortal coil. The veteran star, who played Pauline Fowler in the BBC One soap, told The Sun: "I'm not dying. This illness won't beat me." Wendy, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer last year and has lost her hair, went on: "I'm certainly not thinking about dying. Wendy Richard is going to be around a long time yet." The actress admitted the gruelling chemotherapy left her exhausted. "When you are on chemo your immune system is very low. So if I caught a cold it could be quite serious for someone in my position. I'd rather not take a risk." She also had a message for Jade Goody and other celebrities who are fighting cancer. "My message to Jade and everyone else in my position is simple: Keep plugging away, keep positive and look to the future," she said. Click here to watch whatsontv.co.uk’s new weekly soaps video preview, the Soap Scoop Get all the latest soap gossip delivered straight to your door. Subscribe to Soaplife magazine today
