I QUIT; Airline star forced to leave job after cruel cancer taunts

1 Comment | Sunday Mirror, Jun 11, 2000 | by SUE BLACKHALL

THE star of TV docusoap Airline has quit her job after passengers taunted her about her cancer.

Katrina Leeder won the hearts of of viewers as she battled the disease, but she has decided to leave her job with easyJet after being stalked and verbally abused.

Now the 24-year-old is scared that the illness, which has hit her twice, may return because of the stress.

"I used to really enjoy going to work, but now some people treat me in a way I could never treat anyone," said Katrina.

"I can take some stress, but too much has been known to cause cancer and I'm scared."

During one incident a woman taunted her after a 15-minute delay on her flight.

Katrina said: "She was really shouting at me and her husband said: 'Look dear, it's that woman who had cancer. Give her a break because she's been through a lot'.

"But the woman just said: 'If she can't ******* take it, she shouldn't be back at work'."

Last week a male passenger, who turned up late for his flight, told her: "You deserve what you've got."

And twice recently she has been followed by men as she left work to go home. Of the first incident, she said: "He didn't say anything but just watched me get into my car.

"I was so frightened I reported what had happened."

Things started to turn bad for Katrina when she moved to the airline's sales desk at Luton Airport.

Fearing for her safety, husband Julian Batham has even bought her a panic alarm.

"I've had boarding cards and a perspex sign thrown at me," she said. "When I get home I just break down and cry."

Katrina's cancer, a Wilms tumour, was first diagnosed when she was 16 and it returned two years ago when ITV were filming Airline. Her spleen, half her diaphragm and half a lung were removed and she is now clear.

Last night she said: "I don't want to be forever known as the girl on TV who had cancer."