Piers Morgan has revealed that he was 'surprised' by the response from Sarah Ferguson following her cancer diagnosis news.
The Piers Uncensored host, 58, opened up about her "astoundingly selfless" nature despite the terrible news which was revealed earlier today on her Tea Talks podcast with entrepreneur Sarah Thompson.
The broadcaster first met the Duchess of York for over 25 years after being introduced by Princess Diana at a function in 1996, and "instantly hit it off" as their blossoming friendship developed.
Piers revealed he text the former working royal as soon as he heard of Sarah's cancer diagnosis. He wrote: "Just seen the news. So sorry you’ve been through such a scary time - sending you love and support, and continued success with your treatment."
However, he was surprised by her response, describing it as the "first time I’d ever heard her speak about the need to put herself before others".
She replied: "Time to heal and nurture me now! Hopefully caught in time x thank you."
Writing in his The Sun column, Piers explained: "It's typical of her to instantly try to turn such a negative experience into a positive, but very untypical of her to suspend her astoundingly selfless instincts and focus instead on helping herself.
"I’m very glad she is though, because the world’s a better place with a healthy vibrant Sarah Ferguson in it.
"She’s one of my favourite people; incredibly kind and empathetic, absurdly generous, endearingly modest, hilariously fun-loving, and ferociously loyal."
The Duchess of York confirmed she had a single mastectomy on her podcast, after it emerged she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
She urged royal fans to go for a screening, and said the disease was found in its early form during a routine mammogram.
Speaking in the most recent episode, recorded the day before her operation, she said she was taking the diagnosis as a "real gift to me" and said it would "change my life".
The Duchess explained: "We're taping the podcast today, but tomorrow I'm going in for a mastectomy, a single mastectomy, it's very important that I speak about it. So when it airs you will know I've been through this.
"I want every single person that is listening to this podcast to go and get checked, to go and get screened."
The 63-year-old reportedly left the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, central London, on Sunday, after the operation, and is said to be recovering with family at Windsor.
