Strictly Come Dancing legend Shirley Ballas has sent an urgent message to fans (Picture: PA)
Strictly Come Dancing legend Shirley Ballas has sent an urgent warning to fans about not missing health checks.
The head judge, 63, shared a message to fans on Instagram, after undergoing a biopsy with local anaesthetic.
Following Strictly dancer Amy Dowden’s breast cancer diagnosis last year, Shirley wrote: ‘Urging all women do not miss your mammogram.
‘I went for mine, ended up going for a second one and a biopsy, local anaesthetic biopsy done.
‘Now waiting for results… @Amy_Dowden you ran through my mind the importance of not putting it off go and get tested. Plus self breast check recently.’
In the selfie she shared, Shirley lifted up her shirt to show her breast covered in a bandage following the check up.
Shirley is not the only TV star to have used her platform to urge people to be checked, after Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid said Sarah Ferguson’s breast cancer diagnosis was a ‘wake-up call’ for her to book an appointment.
Amy, 33, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in May 2023 and later confirmed she wouldn’t be taking part in this year’s series after doctors found more tumors following a single mastectomy.
Shirley revealed she underwent a local anaesthetic biopsy on Instagram (Picture: Instagram)
Amy Dowden was diagnosed with breast cancer last year (Picture: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)
She shared subsequent health updates with fans throughout her treatment, with emotional clips of shaving her head, support from her Strictly co-stars and revealed the amazing news there is no longer any evidence of disease in her body in February.
Resharing Shirley’s story, Amy wrote on Instagram: ‘Always here for you! Important message here all from @shirleyballas.’
Shirley, who sits beside Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke, joined the Strictly panel in 2017.
Her latest update comes after viewers’ concern after spotting a lump under her arm while watching the show in 2021.
Strictly viewers were concerned after spotting a lump under Shirley’s arm in 2021 (Picture: BBC)
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She later explained she was going to hospital for ‘full blood work’ and that she found out her hormone levels are ‘all over the place’.
‘So I went and had a lot of blood work done, and now the testosterone’s come back ultra high, the adrenal glands need a scan and my ovaries need a scan, my oestrogen levels are extremely low. All in all, a little concerning for my doctor,’ she said at the time.
Shirley added: ‘And all because several concerned people bothered to let me know what was going on. I love you all and I appreciate you, and thank you.’
The BBC star has a history of cancer in her family and has had two scares herself, with the most recent one having happened just a few months earlier.
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