Strictly’s Anastacia: I won’t hide my scars
riSQUe and revealing frocks are as much a Strictly Come Dancing tradition as the withering putdowns of the judges.
and one competitor this year who will not be shying away from looking dazzling on the dancefloor is breast cancer survivor anastacia, who has vowed not to hide her post-surgical scars.
The 47-year-old singer was first diagnosed with the disease in 2003, and then again in 2013 after which she underwent a full mastectomy and reconstruction.
She says: ‘i have huge scars on my back and i am very insecure about them.
‘The surgeons removed muscles from under my breasts [during the mastectomy] and had to replace them with muscles taken from my back.
‘it will be interesting to see how i get on and there may be dance movements that i have to modify.
‘i am not saying no to a backless situation, but it’s very scary at the same time.’
anastacia, who also bears a 4in scar on her stomach from surgery as a teenager for the inflammatory bowel condition Crohn’s disease, has had hits with i’m Outta Love and Left Outside alone. She is the only american contestant in this year’s competition, which starts this month, but she added: ‘i don’t really feel that i am representing america – i am actually representing breast cancer and i will be donating my fee to charity. ‘The longer i stay in Strictly, the more i get and i am really trying to stay in. i want to do the best i can.’