A woman who claims to be the one-night stand that saved Sean Lock's life during the 90s says she spotted he had skin cancer

A woman who claims to be the one-night stand that saved Sean Lock's life during the 90s says she spotted he had skin cancer - while the comedian made her bacon and eggs.

Terina Mallows, 55, noticed the a misshapen mole while the TV funnyman was cooking her breakfast at his North London flat almost 30 years ago.

Topless Sean is said to have been in the kitchen with his back facing lover Tina when she jabbed his back to point out the marking.

The comment prompted the late 8 out of 10 Cats star to get it checked out and he repeatedly credited her as "saving his life".

She met the comedian - who passed away aged 58 last month - in the early 1990s at one of his gigs when he was beginning to make a name for himself in comedy circles.

The pair met up three times during which Terina - who also goes by Tina - pointed the mark on Sean's back which later turned out to be a malignant melanoma.

Sean went to a doctor's appointment later that week but the pair parted ways before Tina was made aware of her life-saving comment.

Back in 2010, the comedian said during an interview: "I was with a girl called Tina one night and if I hadn't been, well, I'd be dead now."

Tina, from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, said: "Obviously it was a very long time ago and we weren't love's young dream.

"But he was such a nice man.

"It was the morning after and I still felt horrifically hungover as we had been out drinking the night before.

"I told him I needed to go to the old man's cafe to get some breakfast in me before I drove back to mine.

"But he turned round and said 'I've got bacon and eggs here' I'll make you something.

"He had his top off and had his back facing me.

"It was quite obvious.

"I jabbed him where the spot was and in jest said "You've got skin cancer!"

"He kind of freaked out and said 'What? Really? Where?' and to perfectly honest I was probably still a bit drunk from the night before.

"I said 'Where I've just prodded you' and then suggested he get it checked out.

"We met up once more after that before we went our separate ways. It didn't end on bad terms.

"We had the chat and said this has been nice but we were looking for something else.

"I had no idea how serious it was or that I was the one to save his life!

"I have the TV or the radio on while I'm working from home and when it said he had died I was shocked.

"It was being spoken about all day and because I knew him it just felt a bit more personal.

"It was only when he died that I was reading bits online.

"He's obviously been a household name for a while and I only found out about this when I started reading bits online.

"I was reading news articles about his life then noticed he was thanking a woman called Tina.

"To think it was all those years ago and he said to the world I saved him is just so nice.

"He was just such a lovely bloke. It's just strange to think he's gone."

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2010 Sean said: "I was in my late 20s and had been in a long-term relationship which had come to its conclusion, so I was single.

"But the fact is, I was with a girl called Tina one night and if I hadn't been, well, I'd be dead now.

"Because she noticed something about me that I hadn't.

"She said there was something weird on my back.

"It didn't hurt or itch, so there was nothing that would have drawn my attention to it. And being in the small of my back, it was not something you could easily see while looking in a mirror".

Tina met Sean in the early 1990s at one of his stand-up gigs after mutual friends tried to set them up.

Reminiscing on their whirlwind romance, seamstress Tina recalls how both she and Sean felt "too awkward" to speak to one another on the night itself but the comic popped a lollypop with his phone number in her coat pocket before she left to go home.

Tina said: "When I arrived we were both a bit embarrassed as it felt forced.

"I went with my friend Ruth who I was shared a flat with at the time and she was friend's with Sean from school.

"Sean and I didn't really talk much that night to be honest.

"But when I got home I found a lollypop stick in my coat pocket which read 'Call me, Sean' with his number on.

"I phoned it up and he picked up the phone and said 'The funny thing is I didn't actually put that in your coat, that was one of my friends.'

"I replied 'Oh' then he said 'But now I've got you on the phone, can I take you out on a date?'

"I agreed and we met a few days later.

"I can't remember what I wore but I remember getting dressed up for it and I met him in North London.

"I arrived there in the evening in heels and Sean started to look embarrassed.

"He then told me we were going to this old man's cafe which was not what I was expecting!

"We laughed it off and I said it doesn't matter and we went in.

"I'm quite a chatty person anyway but he wasn't cracking out a joke a minute. If anything he seemed to be enjoying not having to steer conversation as he does enough of that on stage.

"It was a very long time ago but I think we ordered egg and chips before we went out for drinks and got steaming drunk.

"All our dates followed that pattern. We were very drunk but we had a good time.

"I started telling my friends this and they just said it was a really interesting thing to hear.

"As I said it wasn't love's young dream but it makes for an interesting anecdote.

"I have no axes to grind, he was such a lovely gentleman and it's sad he's just not here anymore.

Paying tribute to Sean - who passed away last month after a private two-year battle with lung cancer - aspiring author Tina said: "I would just describe him as the perfect gentleman.

"He was very thoughtful, and I would say perspective and protective.

"Even though it was only a short time I remember there was a male mutual friend I wasn't that keen on.

"We didn't fall out but I just felt very uncomfortable around him.

"I instinctively moved a little closer to Sean but didn't say anything and it was the slightest move.

"I hadn't said anything to Sean or even spoke about it. It was just a natural instinct.

"But later on he said 'Are you OK to be around him? I don't want to leave you alone with him'.

"Because he was a decent he was probably able to spot that in other people.

"As I said it wasn't anything that serious but I just thought he was such a lovely guy.

"I have no doubt that Sean made a wonderful father and husband.

"I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to his wife and children who must be grieving terribly.

"It is a tragedy really that he was taken so young.

"They must feel a little cheated but I hope they will eventually be able to find some peace in the loving memories they must have of him!"