Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has revealed she had a "terrifying" cancer scare at the back end of 2023.
Ballas, 63, announced earlier this week on her Instagram story that she was waiting on biopsy results after having a mammogram recently.
She has now opened up about the "emotional" experience, in an interview with The Sun, while also revealing she had a cancer scare while filming the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special at the back end of last year.
Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas opens up about cancer scare
Ballas revealed she underwent her mammogram in a mobile NHS unit in a Sainsbury’s car park and a few days later she was called to go into King’s College Hospital in south London.
The Strictly Come Dancing judge said she was “shocked” as she'd had a breast check with a nurse a few weeks previously which had not shown anything - but was told the mammogram scanners can “pick up small abnormalities”.
Ballas, speaking to The Sun said: “The doctor said ‘I don’t want to alarm you but we found something and we’re not sure what it is. We need to do a 3D mammogram, which is a more advanced machine’
“After that they still weren’t happy after finding lumpy tissue and asked me to come back and do a biopsy.”
The ballroom star said that waiting for the results has made her a “nervous wreck”, admitting her biggest fear would be if she died before her 87-year-old mother.
Ballas said: “I’m worried I’ve worked myself to death. It’s been terrifying, to have the needle go in your body to numb it before the biopsy.
“I feel very emotional. I’m not the same at work at the moment, so I’m teaching, but it’s constantly on my mind.”
The Strictly star also revealed she had a cancer scare when filming the 2023 Christmas special.
She said: “I have had continuous issues and even had really strong, painful injections into the cervix on the day of the special.
“Fortunately that one came back clear. But I went straight from there to judge the Christmas show on pain medication.”
In 2019 she had her breast implants removed after being told by a healthcare professional during a mammogram that they may not always be able to check for cancer behind the implants.
The dancer has a family history of cancer, with her mother suffering from colon cancer in recent years.
In 2021, Ballas also underwent tests after fans spotted a lump under her arm during an online video, which turned out to be clear.
Strictly professional Amy Dowden motivated Shirley Ballas to get tested
Ballas revealed, in an Instagram story recently, she had been motivated to get the tests as Strictly professional Amy Dowden had been encouraging it.
The dancer, 33, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer last year after finding a lump in her breast the day before going to the Maldives on her honeymoon.
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Shirley Ballas 'never forgot' being criticised for showing stretch marks when dancing
- Coronation Street star gives insight into 'stress and excitement' after Strictly win
-
From Alan Carr to Gino D'Acampo see the stars rumoured to be on Strictly 2024
She later had a mastectomy before undergoing chemotherapy, which she has now finished.
Ballas said Dowden had been “absolutely lovely” to her since she shared her own health update.
The Strictly judge is now urging others to get their mammograms and smear tests, adding: “Check your body, check your breasts. It might save your life”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here