Celebs applaud absent Kylie at fundraiser

Some well-known faces from Britain's small screen were looking very much in the pink at the weekend when they donned various shades of rose for a fundraiser in the capital. BBC presenter [Natasha Kaplinsky] chose a candy-floss pink sequinned number, while Atomic Kitten Jenny Frost was radiant in a figure-hugging old-rose silk gown at the Cancer Research Pink Ice Ball at London's Dorchester Hotel.

09 Oct 2005

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Also in a deep pink gown was Dannii Minogue, 33, the sister of Australian songbird Kylie who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The ball was supposed to be the singer's first appearance since undergoing several ops to beat the disease, but she was forced to pull out at the last moment on the advice of doctors.

The singer was present in spirit, however, sending a message of support to fellow cancer sufferers. "I'm currently a cancer patient. I aim to be a cancer survivor," vowed Kylie in the letter read out by Dannii at the bash. The 37-year-old also spoke of her "crash course of learning in the last few months", saying she now has "first hand experience of how vital awareness, funding and support is".

A standing ovation greeted the words of the diminutive singer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May just days before she was due to launch the Australian leg of her worldwide Showgirl tour in Sydney.

This weekend's event raised £100,000 for Cancer Research UK.