She continued, “They also showed me how to stand and fight for what is right, use your voice for activism, all while delivering joy.
“Tonight I have the huge honour of honouring them while we raise funds for their fight with cancer. I hope we can lift them up the way they’ve lifted us all.”
Tonight’s concert will celebrate the contribution the entertainers have made to New Zealand in music and comedy over the past 40 years. Wellington Paranormal star and Dame Lynda’s on-screen daughter Karen O’Leary will host.
The sisters themselves will also appear on stage in their first public performance since their cancer diagnoses put a stop to their plans to celebrate their 40th anniversary with a national tour.
In August this year, they spoke to the Herald about their “hard” journey so far after announcing in March that they were both fighting breast cancer.
Jools was first diagnosed 16 years ago and went into remission after chemotherapy - but found out this year that it had metastasised and started radiation. Lynda was diagnosed with Grade 3 invasive breast cancer in December 2021, undergoing a double mastectomy and six months of intensive chemotherapy.
They shared an update on their Facebook page in September, writing, “Lynda has had to stop her chemo treatment due to chemo induced peripheral neuropathy which is a nerve damaging side effect of the weekly chemo she was receiving.
“Jools is feeling well and is still waiting on a scan to see if radiation has reduced the tumour in her rib cage.
“The twins continue to smile and stay positive every day and would also like to acknowledge all the other women out there in New Zealand who are going through cancer treatment.”
