“I CAN’T GO THROUGH THIS ANYMORE…” — FORMER CORONATION STREET STAR TRACY SHAW BREAKS DOWN AHEAD OF CHEMOTHERAPY

Former Coronation Street actress Tracy Shaw became emotional as she opened up about the fear and uncertainty surrounding her breast cancer diagnosis, revealing that she was preparing to begin chemotherapy.

Shaw, best known for playing Maxine Peacock on the long-running ITV soap, was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2026 after discovering a lump. Doctors initially planned surgery, but further tests meant she would undergo chemotherapy first in an effort to shrink the tumours before an operation could take place.

In an emotional video shared with followers, Shaw spoke candidly about how difficult it had become to live with the uncertainty surrounding her condition.

“I can’t go through this anymore,” she said, before acknowledging that she had not even fully begun the treatment journey.

The actress explained that ordinary physical sensations had taken on a frightening new meaning since her diagnosis.

She said that when she wakes up with a severe headache or feels another “twinge” in her other breast, her mind immediately begins to worry that the cancer could be moving.

For Shaw, the hardest part was not simply the treatment itself, but waking up each morning knowing that the cancer was still there.

She described the road ahead as “a long road” and compared it to facing “a mountain.”

Despite the fear, Shaw also said that part of her was eager to begin treatment because she wanted to know that the chemotherapy was working to shrink the tumours and deal with the cancer.

At the time, she said she had been told chemotherapy would begin the following week. She also shared that she had already spent time in the chemotherapy ward undergoing tests before treatment officially began.

Her decision to speak openly about the experience has allowed fans to follow the emotional and physical reality of her treatment.

Shaw later cut much of her hair into a short pixie style and donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust, which provides real-hair wigs for children and young people experiencing hair loss.

A DIFFICULT TREATMENT JOURNEY

Shaw’s treatment has continued for months since that emotional early update.

In July, she revealed that surgery was still not possible because the tumours had not shrunk sufficiently. Following an ultrasound, she said the lesions had changed shape but had not reduced in size as much as she had hoped.

By September, reports indicated that Shaw had undergone her fourth round of chemotherapy and continued to share updates with followers about the impact of treatment.

Her cancer journey has also included difficult side effects. In September, Shaw spoke about the physical toll treatment had taken on her and the uncertainty surrounding whether she would be able to continue with another chemotherapy session.

More recently, she became emotional after missing a hospital appointment because she could not find a parking space despite arriving early. Shaw said she had driven around the hospital car park for around 45 minutes and described the anxiety caused by missing an appointment she had been looking forward to.

REMEMBERED AS MAXINE PEACOCK

Tracy Shaw rose to fame through Coronation Street, where she played Maxine Peacock from 1995 to 2003.

Her character became one of the soap’s familiar faces before being killed off in a dramatic storyline involving serial killer Richard Hillman.

Away from the screen, Shaw has continued to share personal updates about her life and health, giving followers an unusually direct look at the emotional uncertainty that can accompany cancer treatment.

Her story has also prompted messages of support from fans and fellow performers as she continues through treatment.

For Shaw, however, the focus remains on taking the journey one stage at a time — even when the road ahead feels like a mountain.