Sharon Osbourne, Una Foden and Davina McCall Join "Stand Up To Cancer": Their Reasons For Supporting the Campaign

The national fundraising campaign "Stand Up To Cancer," has garnered the support of several celebrities including Sharon Osbourne, Alan Carr, Christine Bleakley, DJ Greg James, Jack Whitehall, Una Foden and Henry Holland. They have joined hands to "show solidarity" in the campaign.

The campaign is organized jointly by the Cancer Research UK and Channel 4. According to the American Cancer Society, Cancer is the second major cause of death in the United States. Its statistics reveal that nearly one of every four deaths is due to cancer. The campaign is being organized to raise funds, increase awareness among the people and to accelerate new treatments for cancer patients.

These celebrities are supporting the campaign for their own reasons. Some of them have been victims of cancer themselves and have a personal reason to support the campaign. Former X Factor judge Osbourne, is one such celebrity, who has undergone a double mastectomy. She explained that her battle with cancer has made her realize, what a "devastating effect" it could have not just on the person undergoing the disease but also on the patient's near and dear ones. It is equally terrible for the person's friends and family.

She stated that if we keep quiet and do nothing about it, things would not change. "The more of us who show solidarity and Stand Up To Cancer together, the faster we can fight this deadly disease," she said.

She is not the only one who has experienced the painful effect of the disease. Presenter McCall's sister expired due to cancer in 2012. Daily Mail reported that she will be returning to host Stand Up To Cancer's live TV show on Channel 4 on Friday October 17.

McCall said that the reason she is taking part in the campaign is because she lost her elder sister to lung cancer. She explained that her sister was afraid of doctors and made constant excuses to avoid going to the hospital. When she was taken to A&E she was given a "terminal diagnosis," she said. McCall does not want anyone to go through what she underwent and she wishes that the campaign would spread awareness so that everyone would receive treatment in the initial stages.

She described her heart breaking experience and said that no one should ever go through it. No one should be told that they're not going to make it, she said. While some lost their loved ones, some have been witness to cancer and its impact on people's lives. Chat show host and comedian Alan Carr's friend suffered from throat cancer and she lost her voice.

He said that if it was not for funding, she may not have survived. He hopes the campaign would raise a lot of money that could help cancer patients.

You can visit standuptocancer.org.uk to find out more about the campaign.