# UK Soap and Drama Discussion > Emmerdale > Spoilers >  Zoe Tate (Leah Bracknell)

## Perdita

Her partner Jez Hughes has reached out to friends, family and fans of the 52-year-old actress and yoga teacher for financial help as she seeks experimental treatment in Germany, reports the Daily Mail.

Calling his partner a "radiant jewel", Hughes wrote to Facebook followers: "'It's been an incredibly tough month as my beloved partner and soul mate (sic), Ali/ Leah, was rushed to hospital 5 weeks ago. Luckily they were able to drain a litre of fluid from around her heart which saved her life.

"Unfortunately the diagnosis for the problem that caused the fluid build up was lung cancer, stage 4, what the doctors call 'terminal.' She's responded with incredible positivity and we're determined to fight this, knowing that the medical profession doesn't always know the whole story. We've already had Marakame's (Mexican shaman) in the hospital doing healings on her and incredible support from friends and loved ones.

"This is helping keeping us very positive and upbeat. And already there are positive signs. After a month of researching and getting advise from professionals, we've found there are incredible breakthroughs being made in clinics in Europe that combine the best of intregative (alternative) medicine with the most cutting edge modern treatments such as immunotherapy, which actually use DNA testing to attack the specific cancer cells in your body."

Leah Bracknell on set during filming of British television soap opera Emmerdale Farm in 1989
Â©  Getty Images Tim Roney
(Leah Bracknell on set at Emmerdale Farm in 1989)

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for Bracknell has so far surpassed over Â£2,500 of her Â£50,000 goal in just one day.

Bracknell became an Emmerdale favourite during her 16 years starring on the ITV series as Zoe Tate, and was a pioneer for a storyline in which Zoe came out as a lesbian.

Leah Bracknell poses at the photocall and launch for the new theatrical production of 'Strangers On A Train'
Â©  Gareth Cattermole
Emmerdale also used the Zoe Tate character to dramatise mental health issues when she was diagnosed as schizophrenic.

Bracknell left Emmerdale in 2005 in what was initially billed as a temporary break to focus on teaching yoga. Throughout her esteemed TV career, Bracknell has appeared in Doctors, The Royal Today and A Touch of Frost.

To donate to Bracknell's GoFundMe campaign, click here.

----------

lizann (06-10-2016), Rear window (07-10-2016)

----------


## alan45

This is terrible news.   I always hoped that Zoe would return someday and take back Home Farm.  Thoughts are with her family

----------

lizann (06-10-2016)

----------


## lizann

poor leah hope she makes her fund and gets the treatment abroad

----------


## Perdita

Former Emmerdale actress Leah Bracknell has reached her goal of raising Â£50,000 in order to get treatment for her cancer.

The star revealed that she has been diagnosed with terminal stage 4 lung cancer and set up a fundraising page with her partner Jez Hughes.

The couple have raised the money so Bracknell can get treatment at a clinic in Germany.

This clinic uses treatments unavailable on the NHS that the people who run it claim can cure 'terminal' stage 4 cancer.


Leah Bracknell GoFundMe
Â©  Jez Hughes

In just over a day after the page was set up, the target of Â£50,000 has been achieved.

It's not only fans who are rallying round to support Leah either - her former co-stars have also been showing their support.

Mark Charnock, who plays the Dales' Marlon Dingle, tweeted a link to the fundraising page, and added that Leah was "an extraordinary person".

Zoe was involved in several big storylines during her time on Emmerdale, including coming out as a lesbian and being diagnosed as schizophrenic.

Leah Bracknell poses at the photocall and launch for the new theatrical production of 'Strangers On A Train'
Â©  Gareth Cattermole
Since leaving the show, Leah has appeared in Doctors, The Royal Today and A Touch of Frost.

Digital Spy

----------

tammyy2j (12-10-2016)

----------


## tammyy2j

I hope the treatment works for her

----------


## alan45

Former Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell is raising more money for her lifesaving cancer treatment because she said she needs to have 'several sessions'.
The actress, who played Zoe Tate in the soap for 16 years, has already raised Â£60,000 for treatment since being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer seven weeks ago.
But the 52-year-old says it is now likely she will need more donations to fund her treatment.
Leah, who plans to travel to a clinic in Germany for immunotherapy treatment which is not available on the NHS, says the initial Â£50,000 target will only cover one session and it is like she will need several more. 
Writing on her Facebook page, she said had been hugely grateful for the messages and the donations but that the fundraising would still be 'continuing'. 
'Please know how grateful I am, and how I appreciate each and every message,' she wrote. 
'Not in Germany yet, as there are many procedures to undergo first. But everything is moving in the right direction. 
'The fundraising will still be continuing, as the initial target will likely cover only my initial visit, and it is more than likely I may need several more.'


Leah announced earlier this month that she had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. 
In an emotional post about her condition, the mother-of-two - the first British soap character to come out as a lesbian - described how she had been enjoying life as a 'fit and healthy' yoga teacher when her world was 'unexpectedly turned on its head'.
Writing on her fundraising page, Leah vowed to fight the cancer with 'a glass half full', describing how her priority was 'to defy expectation'.


Please imagine me writing this and speaking in quite an upbeat and cheerful voice,' she wrote.
'Do NOT imagine me sitting here writing through a veil of tears. I am not. Or feeling sorry for myself. I am not (yet).
'My priority is getting well and strong, so that I can continue to endeavour to be a good, mother, daughter, wife, or at least the best I can be. 
Leah, who plans to travel to a clinic in Germany for immunotherapy which is not available on the NHS, says the initial Â£50,000 target will only cover one session
+6
Leah, who plans to travel to a clinic in Germany for immunotherapy which is not available on the NHS, says the initial Â£50,000 target will only cover one session
'My priority is to defy expectation. My priority is to love, to laugh, and, as Bob said, to "keep on keepin' on".'  
Shortly after, her partner Jez Hughes launched an online appeal through GoFundMe to raise a minimum of Â£50,000 for the treatment at the private Hallwang clinic.
Treatment costs between Â£9,000 and Â£27,000 a week, with the average stay lasting three to four weeks. 
The clinic specialises in immunotherapy, which âreprogrammesâ the bodyâs defence system to attack cancerous cells. Trials show it could stop cancer from spreading and reduce tumour size. 
In Germany â which has one of the highest cancer-survival rates in Europe â clinics operate under fewer regulations so they can provide treatments that have not been ruled safe in Britain. 
Patients have compared the centre to a âspa hotelâ where they are given restaurant-quality food. 
Jez said the family are 'determined to fight' the cancer and have Mexican shamans in the hospital attempting to heal her. 
He added that the pair had been getting advice from professionals for the past month and had found 'incredible breakthroughs' being made in European clinics involving alternative medicine and modern treatments. 


Daily Mail

----------


## Perdita

Former Emmerdale star Leah Bracknell has revealed that her cancer treatment has stopped working, but insists that she will keep fighting to find a cure.

Leah, who played Zoe Tate on Emmerdale until 2005, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last October.

The disease was diagnosed by doctors as being at stage 4, meaning that effective treatment was unlikely.

"A fairly brutal and bleak diagnosis but one I am determined to challenge and see from the perspective of 'a glass half full', going against a lifetime of pessimism, negativity and fear," Leah said at the time. "My priority is to defy expectation."

Emmerdale fans raised thousands of pounds to fund Leah's treatment in Germany, where she received treatments unavailable in the UK.

Later in 2016, she returned to the UK to take part in a clinical trial due to her Chinese heritage.

Starting targeted biological therapy, Leah acknowledged that it was not a "cure" but, instead, could give her time to prepare for more treatment abroad.

But Leah's partner Jez has now shared that the clinical treatment has failed.

Writing on the GoFundMe page where Leah's fans rose over Â£60,000 toward her treatment, Jez wrote: "We have found out the drug definitely isn't working so she has been off this for a while while we find out the next steps.

"We are so grateful for the opportunity to keep Leah strong and well."

Thankfully, Leah has always had a positive outlook on her prognosis, saying earlier this year: "I don't wake up every day feeling fearful - I wake up feeling grateful and feeling happy."

You can still donate to Leah's GoFundMe page here https://www.gofundme.com/2r2kwanw


Digital Spy

----------

Rear window (14-08-2017), TaintedLove (13-08-2017)

----------


## Perdita

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbi...le-death-news/

Leah has died, aged 55  :Sad:    RIP

----------

lizann (16-10-2019), tammyy2j (17-10-2019)

----------


## lizann

> https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbi...le-death-news/
> 
> Leah has died, aged 55    RIP


she fought hard long RIP

----------

tammyy2j (17-10-2019)

----------


## tammyy2j

Rest In Peace Leah

----------


## tammyy2j

Will the show give the character a funeral on screen, bring her back with Jean, bury her with Frank and Chris?

Is Graham in contact with her?

----------

