DANCING On Ice professional skater Alex Murphy has revealed her terrifying cancer scare after finding a lump on her breast.
The star took to her Instagram stories to open up to her fans about having a biopsy, which thankfully came back benign.
Two-time gold medallist skater Alex, 32, encouraged her fans to “check their boobs” after revealing she found a lump last year.
The star underwent a series of tests to rule out breast cancer, before it was finally confirmed her tumours were benign following a biopsy.
“Everything is all good now,” she encouraged fans after she was asked about her “health scare” during an Instagram Q&A on Monday.
“I found a lump on my boob, was referred to a specialist, and I had to have a series of mammograms, ultrasounds and biopsies.
“It came back benign so I’m in the clear – I’ve been referred for some generic counselling because of my family history.”
Alex went on to detail that she went public with her scare because she was getting social media comments about her lack of content.
“It was horrible, but I think we’re through the worst of it now,” she concluded. “I’m recovering from the biopsy fine, and I’m just mentally tired but I’m more than OK.”
She signed off by praising her husband Paul for being “a diamond”, and encouraged her female following to “check their boobs”.
Alex typed out her story alongside a snap of her pet dog Tony, who she followed up with a series of sweet posts of.
Alex won Dancing On Ice with celebrity partner Joe Swash back in 2020 – just years after suffering a near-deadly stroke.
The star revealed at the time of the competition how she was performing on a cruise ship when she collapsed and lost the use of her arms.
She told the Metro: “I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped off the ice and tried to hang up my costume.
“I couldn’t lift my right arm – I thought that’s funny – then I couldn’t untie my skates or feel my foot. I had no idea what it was and felt like I was having a weird out-of-body experience.
“I started banging my hands on the sink to see if I could put life into them. I looked in mirror and didn’t recognise myself – I didn’t know I was Alex.”
Medical tests revealed that Alex had a rare condition called patent foramen ovale, which causes a hole in the heart.
She faced having to give up her skating career forever before having an operation to repair her heart defect, three months before joining Dancing On Ice.
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Alex was axed from the ITV skating competition in 2021, after bosses decided not to renew her contract for the show.
She wrote to fans on Instagram: “For the last three years, Dancing On Ice has not only been my job, but also what I considered to be my family.
“I am broken hearted to announced that I have recently been informed that I will not be re-contracted for Dancing On Ice 2021 series.
“This decision has come as a huge shock to me. I absolutely love the show and had hoped to go back for 2021. I have been left feeling bewildered, lost, and devastated.
“I am so grateful for the three years that I had on this incredible show and I will wholeheartedly miss everyone and everything about it.
“Though I am heartbroken, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and although this hurts right now, I will pick myself up and look forward towards the future.
“Thank you so much to all my colleagues at DOI and most importantly the viewers for the constant support and love that you have shown me the last 3 years.
“It was an incredible part of my life and though it is ending sooner than I would have liked, I am so grateful for the memories.”
