'To be coming out the other side feels unreal': Hollyoaks star reveals that she is cancer free

West Cork-based soap actress Ali Bastian has revealed that she is “cancer free” following a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.

The former Hollyoaks, Doctors, and The Bill actress, 43, announced last year that she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer after finding a lump while breastfeeding her daughter, Isabella.

On Instagram, she wrote that she was on her “final week of radiotherapy which should mark the end my active treatment”, while thanking supporters for their birthday messages.

She added: “I had my mastectomy in January which was thankfully a success and has healed really well, it proved that my chemo(therapy) had worked. As I sit here right now, I’m free from cancer.

“I can’t even believe it.”

The British star, who lives in West Cork with her husband David O’Mahony, thanked the nurses at Cork University Hospital who gave her “compassion, time, and space to share and talk about my experience of a very challenging treatment pathway” which she called “an awful lot to process mentally and emotionally”.

“To be coming out of the other side of this feels unreal, after the shock of a diagnosis it’s hard to let in the light and believe that it might just be ok,” she added.

“The road back to my life won’t be a linear one… and I will share with you as always, as much of my truth of this experience as I can.

“I am so, so grateful for all of your support.

“People with cancer, experiencing cancer treatment need love. Full stop. Unconditional, arms around you love and support. I’ve really felt that from you all, also in my day to day life… from the most unexpected of places. When it’s dark, look for stars.”

The 2009 Strictly Come Dancing semi-finalist shares another daughter, Isla Rose, with actor, writer and director husband O’Mahony, who she married in 2019.

According to Cancer Research UK, stage 2 breast cancer is an early form of the condition, and can mean the disease is either in the breast or in the nearby lymph nodes, or both.