So that's how we finally fixed our wedding day after eleven years together.  The ceremony was fine for Ronnie and me, but I suppose to most people it would sound quite bizarre.  I didn't have a wedding gown, head-dress or a bouquet.  There were no flowers and no confetti.  I wore a short black skirt and an old white jacket, black tights and black, low-heeled shoes.  Ronnie had on his favourite old sports coat and navy trousers.  The only guests were my niece and her husband.  That night I went to bed really happy.  Ronnie is the one man in my life I love.  The man I have loved more than any other." 

Their love affair, which began when Sue joined Crossroads in 1979, has been described as the strangest romance in showbiz.  For when she fell for her dashing co-star he was rumoured to be gay.

Before meeting Sue he had a long and happy relationship with Crossroads actor Brian Hankins.  But that ended tragically in 1978 when, ironically, Brian died of cancer.  Ronnie loyally nursed his pal throughout his two year illness and was with him till the end.

It was just a few months after Brian's death that Ronnie and Sue met - and moved in to a flat together near the Crossroads set in Birmingham.  The couple swore they were just good friends, and, because of Ronnie's past, people believed them.  Even when they got engaged the whispers were that it was merely a platonic relationship.  But blonde Sue, still shapely and attractive at 51, revealed the truth about the romance.

"We became lovers within the first month of moving into the flat," she said.  "I'd heard rumours about Ronnie, but that was his private life and didn't concern me.  We were together and it was wonderful.  I've never been happier with any man in my life.  And he's all man - I can assure you of that.  Our relationship has always been absolutely lovely.  And that includes the sexual side."

Ronnie said: "I'm not going to deny the gay rumours.  They don't upset me anymore.  The simple truth is that I never found a woman I wanted to share my life with until Sue came along.  My relationship with her is fulfilling in every way.  It's a very passionate and sexual relationship."

The lovers never considered marriage.

"It just didn't seem necessary," said Sue.  "You can be just as committed to a person without going through a wedding ceremony."

But Ronnie's illness changed everything.  Now the couple feel the need to be as close as possible. 

News of Ronnie's illness came as TV bosses were considering putting Crossroads back on the screen, just three years after it was scrapped following a 24 year run.  Both Ronnie and Sue have been asked to appear in a murder mystery called Death at the Crossroads, which is scheduled to start filming in July. 

But work is a long way from Ronnie's mind as he gathers his strength for the long battle ahead.  Sue is trying prayer to save the man she loves.  But Ronnie believes in the power of the mind. 

"I feel there's no point in worrying and as soon as I'm strong enough I shall plant out the garden," he says defiantly.  "If I die in a couple of months someone else will be there to enjoy the flowers."