Tough guy actor Liam Neeson and the former man behaving badly Martin Clunes have got in touch with their feminine sides to model pink handbags for Cancer Research UK.
October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month is traditionally awash with all things female, but this year Liam and Martin, along with Michael Winner and Les Ferdinand, have added a dash of masculinity to show that both men and women can support Cancer Research UK’s campaign ‘Join the fight for women’s survival’.
The celebrities have all been affected by breast cancer and represent the fact that, behind the 45,500 women who are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK, is an army of husbands, sons, brothers, fathers and friends who are also deeply affected and who play a supporting role.
The handbags the men are modelling form part of a range of pink products available in Cancer Research
UK shops nationwide and on www.shoptobeatcancer.org.uk from 99p to £14.99. All profits go towards the charity’s life-saving research into breast cancer.
Liam Neeson said: "Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK which means there aren’t many families who haven’t been affected by it in some way, and mine is no exception.
"The good news is that more women than ever before are surviving breast cancer thanks to the work of Cancer Research UK, so make sure you show them your support this Breast Cancer Awareness Month."
Martin Clunes said: "There aren’t many reasons I would agree to pose with a handbag, but following a close friend’s diagnosis with breast cancer, supporting research into the disease was enough to persuade me.
"So if I can do this, you can get down to your local Cancer Research UK shop this October and buy a handbag or any other pink product that takes your fancy to support life-saving research into breast cancer."
Les Ferdinand, who lost his mother to breast cancer in 1990, said: ‘‘Nothing can prepare you for being told your mother has breast cancer. It was a huge shock and rocked our entire family.
"Cancer Research UK is the biggest single funder of breast cancer research in the UK, so raise money for them this October and help their life-saving work to beat breast cancer."
Michael Winner, who modelled the trendy cross-body handbag, said: ‘’I lost someone very dear to me to breast cancer, the actress Jill Ireland, and while survival rates have improved dramatically over recent years, there are still too many people like me losing loved ones to this disease.’’
The pictures were taken by legendary photographer and cancer survivor Terry O’Neill at The Dorchester Hotel in Mayfair.
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