Emotional Lorraine Kelly revealed her late friend Lynn Faulds Wood bravely battled a rare auto-immune disease for years as her husband John Stapleton recalls the moment he lost his wife.
TV tragic presenter passed away aged 72 in April after suffering a severe stroke at her home.
The former Watchdog host died with John and son Nick at her bedside, the family announced.
Showbiz pal Lorraine called her a "wonderful woman" - and has now opened up more about the loss of her dear friend.
The Scot said Lynn was on a mission to remove the embarrassment surrounding bowel cancer after winning that fight years before she died.
Writing in her column in The Sun, she talked more about Lynn's battle with Antiphospholipid Syndrome - something the popular presenter never revealed.
"Lynn was fierce and didn't suffer fools gladly, but she was one of the kindest and most generous of women," said the star.
"Lynn had been living for four years with the auto-immune disease ASP (antiphospholipid syndrome), which can increase the risk of blood clots and strokes. She never let ASP get her down, and she was a true force of nature.
"She leaves behind an impressive legacy, which can be seen by the love she inspired in John, Nick and all her family and friends, together with her life-saving pioneering mission to remove the embarrassment surrounding bowel cancer."
Her husband John Stapleton, the BBC broadcaster, has told the Daily Mail about that fateful day last month.
"We live in a lovely community where every Thursday evening since lockdown we've gone out to a three-acre patch of land near our homes and gathered — at appropriate social distances — in a big circle," he said.
"Someone organises music, then we clap for the NHS and care workers. Lynn was clapping and chatting as enthusiastically as ever.
"Then we came back inside, watched a film, and at about 10pm she tried to get up from the sofa and collapsed."
Lorraine was not allowed to attend the funeral last week thanks to the coronavirus crisis, something which hurt her deeply.
Strict rules around funerals mean those in attendance must be close family members, or close friends if this is not possible - while a maximum of just 10 people is advised, practising social distancing as they mourn.
Talking on her show last Monday, Lorraine said: "I'll tell you what is one of the really heartbreaking things about this whole situation, is you cannot pay your respects to someone when they die. Funerals are restricted.
"It's the funeral today of Lynn Faulds Wood who of course we knew very well and loved very much, and we cannot be there obviously."
Emotional Lorraine went on: "John Stapleton, her husband, he's gonna be talking to us on Thursday with his son, and that is when we will both and the rest of us can remember Lynn properly."
