Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian reveals her body is ‘under construction' after cancer
Former Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian has discussed her cancer recovery.
The 43-year old actress played Becca Dean on the Channel 4 soap for 6 years between 2001 and 2007.
After leaving the show, she had a regular role in ITV police drama The Bill, and starred as Becky Clarke in since-axed BBC daytime medical series Doctors.
In September, she revealed her diagnosis with stage two breast cancer, confirming that she discovered a lump whilst breastfeeding her daughter Isabella.
At first, doctors believed the lump to be a blocked duct, though following a round of antibiotics and further tests done at a specialist clinic, cancerous cells were found.
In December, she rang the bell after five months of treatment and, three months later, she revealed that she is cancer free.
'I wanted to update you all,' the star wrote on Instagram at the time.
'I'm on to my final week of radio therapy which should mark the end my active treatment – I hope and pray for good!
'I had my mastectomy in January which was thankfully a success and has healed really well, it proved that my chemo had worked.
'As I sit here right now, I'm free from Cancer. I can't even believe it.'
She has now said that her body is 'under construction' and that she's considering reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy.
'I couldn't have a reconstruction at the time because we always knew I'd have to have radiotherapy. At some point there'll be some kind of something,' she told Giovanna Fletcher on her Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast
'Initially I was like 100% it's happening. But now, I want to have the conversations and talk through what the options are, but I'm not actually married to any of them at the moment.'
She continued: 'I've got a really good prosthetic that makes a big difference. It means in clothes I feel normal. It's bright pink. It makes me happy.
'It's just very different to the lump of silicone that you get handed in the hospital, which is a hell of a moment.
'This is a lot lighter and easy to wear. I quite like that it doesn't look like a chicken fillet, like a pretend boob.
Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale?
Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews.
Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers!
'It's something that I could show the kids as well because it's so visually appealing.
'It was one of those little bridging things. I just keep saying to myself really 'I'm still under construction, I've been through a lot, I'm healing at the moment'.' More Trending
Ali shares two daughters, five-year old Isla and two-year old Isabella, with husband David O'Mahony. She continued to tell Giovanna that she now plans to focus on other health issues, such as a hernia that she developed during childbirth.
'I've got a big old hernia from my babies as well,' she said.
'Because of all of this I haven't been able to have that done, and actually I'm more keen to get that done than anything else because that is harder to hide.
View More »
'It's like a tennis ball. I've had it for five years, and it needs to go now.'
If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we'd love to hear from you.
Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.
MORE: Jessie J experiences her 'worst day so far' since cancer diagnosis
MORE: Popular TV star 'forever grateful' as major series opts to bring her back
MORE: 17 years after I gave blood an unexpected email changed my life
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Ladbrokes ads banned over use of ‘Ladbucks' likely to appeal to under-18s
The TV ad, seen in December, featured a voiceover that stated: 'This is a Ladbuck, the new way to get rewarded at Ladbrokes, and these are some of the 100 million Ladbucks that will be dropping weekly. 'Collect them on our free to play games and choose rewards like free spins, free bets and more … Plus you can even use them to play your favourite games for free in our Ladbucks arcade. Like Fishin Frenzy and Goldstrike.' A Video on Demand ad, seen on Channel 4 around the same time, was the same as the TV ad. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received two complaints that the term 'Ladbucks' was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s. Ladbrokes said the term 'Ladbucks' was chosen as a play on the word Ladbrokes, and because it referenced, through the use of the term bucks, that it had value on the Ladbrokes website. They said the word had no origins in youth culture and believed that it was not of inherent strong appeal to under-18s, and highlighted that both ads had targeting restrictions to reduce the likelihood of children viewing them. The firm said it believed that the term was not associated with any coins from video games which were popular with under-18s, adding that 'V-Bucks' from Fortnite and 'Robux' from Roblox were in-game currencies that had to be purchased before being used to buy in-game items. Further, it did not believe the term 'lad' referred to a boy or young man and said its brand had never been used in that context. The ASA said several online games popular with under-18s, such as Roblox and Fortnite, had their own in-game currencies, which were called Robux and V-Bucks respectively. These currencies, which could be both bought and earnt through gameplay, were depicted as coins, and spent within in-game stores, usually on cosmetic items that enhanced gameplay. According to Ofcom's 2024 report into media use and attitudes, 60% of children aged between three and 17 years gamed online, while 89% of 11 to 18-year-olds gamed online weekly, with categories of games that were most popular including building games, such as Roblox, followed by games played against others, such as Fortnite. The ASA said it considered the term 'Ladbucks', through the suffix 'bucks', had strong similarities to the in-game currencies Robux and V-Bucks. It said the name 'Ladbucks', when considered alongside the imagery and the application of the coin in the ads, was 'depicted in a manner which was similar to features in video games popular with children'. 'We therefore considered the term in the ads was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s and breached the Code,' it said. The watchdog ruled that the ads must not appear again in their current form, adding: 'We told Ladbrokes not to include content in ads that was reflective of youth culture or which had strong appeal to those under 18 years of age.' A spokesman for Entain, which owns Ladbrokes, said: 'We are disappointed by the ASA's ruling on our 'Ladbucks' advertising campaign, and we are seeking an independent review of what we consider to be a flawed decision. 'For example, it is based on an inaccurate comparison with games such as Fortnite or Roblox and their in-game currencies. Entain works extremely carefully to ensure that its advertising does not target or appeal to under-18s. 'We maintain that this was a responsibly created and targeted campaign, pre-approved by Clearcast and only shown after the watershed.'
Leader Live
2 hours ago
- Leader Live
Ladbrokes ads banned over use of ‘Ladbucks' likely to appeal to under-18s
The TV ad, seen in December, featured a voiceover that stated: 'This is a Ladbuck, the new way to get rewarded at Ladbrokes, and these are some of the 100 million Ladbucks that will be dropping weekly. 'Collect them on our free to play games and choose rewards like free spins, free bets and more … Plus you can even use them to play your favourite games for free in our Ladbucks arcade. Like Fishin Frenzy and Goldstrike.' A Video on Demand ad, seen on Channel 4 around the same time, was the same as the TV ad. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received two complaints that the term 'Ladbucks' was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s. Ladbrokes said the term 'Ladbucks' was chosen as a play on the word Ladbrokes, and because it referenced, through the use of the term bucks, that it had value on the Ladbrokes website. They said the word had no origins in youth culture and believed that it was not of inherent strong appeal to under-18s, and highlighted that both ads had targeting restrictions to reduce the likelihood of children viewing them. The firm said it believed that the term was not associated with any coins from video games which were popular with under-18s, adding that 'V-Bucks' from Fortnite and 'Robux' from Roblox were in-game currencies that had to be purchased before being used to buy in-game items. Further, it did not believe the term 'lad' referred to a boy or young man and said its brand had never been used in that context. The ASA said several online games popular with under-18s, such as Roblox and Fortnite, had their own in-game currencies, which were called Robux and V-Bucks respectively. These currencies, which could be both bought and earnt through gameplay, were depicted as coins, and spent within in-game stores, usually on cosmetic items that enhanced gameplay. According to Ofcom's 2024 report into media use and attitudes, 60% of children aged between three and 17 years gamed online, while 89% of 11 to 18-year-olds gamed online weekly, with categories of games that were most popular including building games, such as Roblox, followed by games played against others, such as Fortnite. The ASA said it considered the term 'Ladbucks', through the suffix 'bucks', had strong similarities to the in-game currencies Robux and V-Bucks. It said the name 'Ladbucks', when considered alongside the imagery and the application of the coin in the ads, was 'depicted in a manner which was similar to features in video games popular with children'. 'We therefore considered the term in the ads was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s and breached the Code,' it said. The watchdog ruled that the ads must not appear again in their current form, adding: 'We told Ladbrokes not to include content in ads that was reflective of youth culture or which had strong appeal to those under 18 years of age.' A spokesman for Entain, which owns Ladbrokes, said: 'We are disappointed by the ASA's ruling on our 'Ladbucks' advertising campaign, and we are seeking an independent review of what we consider to be a flawed decision. 'For example, it is based on an inaccurate comparison with games such as Fortnite or Roblox and their in-game currencies. Entain works extremely carefully to ensure that its advertising does not target or appeal to under-18s. 'We maintain that this was a responsibly created and targeted campaign, pre-approved by Clearcast and only shown after the watershed.'
Rhyl Journal
2 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Ladbrokes ads banned over use of ‘Ladbucks' likely to appeal to under-18s
The TV ad, seen in December, featured a voiceover that stated: 'This is a Ladbuck, the new way to get rewarded at Ladbrokes, and these are some of the 100 million Ladbucks that will be dropping weekly. 'Collect them on our free to play games and choose rewards like free spins, free bets and more … Plus you can even use them to play your favourite games for free in our Ladbucks arcade. Like Fishin Frenzy and Goldstrike.' A Video on Demand ad, seen on Channel 4 around the same time, was the same as the TV ad. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received two complaints that the term 'Ladbucks' was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s. Ladbrokes said the term 'Ladbucks' was chosen as a play on the word Ladbrokes, and because it referenced, through the use of the term bucks, that it had value on the Ladbrokes website. They said the word had no origins in youth culture and believed that it was not of inherent strong appeal to under-18s, and highlighted that both ads had targeting restrictions to reduce the likelihood of children viewing them. The firm said it believed that the term was not associated with any coins from video games which were popular with under-18s, adding that 'V-Bucks' from Fortnite and 'Robux' from Roblox were in-game currencies that had to be purchased before being used to buy in-game items. Further, it did not believe the term 'lad' referred to a boy or young man and said its brand had never been used in that context. The ASA said several online games popular with under-18s, such as Roblox and Fortnite, had their own in-game currencies, which were called Robux and V-Bucks respectively. These currencies, which could be both bought and earnt through gameplay, were depicted as coins, and spent within in-game stores, usually on cosmetic items that enhanced gameplay. According to Ofcom's 2024 report into media use and attitudes, 60% of children aged between three and 17 years gamed online, while 89% of 11 to 18-year-olds gamed online weekly, with categories of games that were most popular including building games, such as Roblox, followed by games played against others, such as Fortnite. The ASA said it considered the term 'Ladbucks', through the suffix 'bucks', had strong similarities to the in-game currencies Robux and V-Bucks. It said the name 'Ladbucks', when considered alongside the imagery and the application of the coin in the ads, was 'depicted in a manner which was similar to features in video games popular with children'. 'We therefore considered the term in the ads was likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s and breached the Code,' it said. The watchdog ruled that the ads must not appear again in their current form, adding: 'We told Ladbrokes not to include content in ads that was reflective of youth culture or which had strong appeal to those under 18 years of age.' A spokesman for Entain, which owns Ladbrokes, said: 'We are disappointed by the ASA's ruling on our 'Ladbucks' advertising campaign, and we are seeking an independent review of what we consider to be a flawed decision. 'For example, it is based on an inaccurate comparison with games such as Fortnite or Roblox and their in-game currencies. Entain works extremely carefully to ensure that its advertising does not target or appeal to under-18s. 'We maintain that this was a responsibly created and targeted campaign, pre-approved by Clearcast and only shown after the watershed.'
