90s singer opens up on health scare after mistaking skin cancer for insect bite
Natasha Hamilton is now cancer-free after a worrying diagnosis.
Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton has shared her skin cancer scare, initially mistaking the symptoms for a mosquito bite.
The 42-year-old singer appeared on Good Morning Britain to raise awareness about the dangers of cancer, suspecting her use of sunbeds may have contributed to her diagnosis.
Earlier this year, Natasha revealed she was diagnosed with skin cancer last year and underwent surgery to remove a Basal-cell carcinoma from her back.
She described it as "a massive wake-up call" that highlighted the importance of vigilance, avoiding excessive sun exposure and tanning beds, using SPF, and realising she was "not invincible".
Chatting with Kate Garraway and Rob Rinder, Natasha discussed the moment she realised she needed to get a "freckle" on her back examined, after getting sunburnt while on holiday.
"I wasn't in the sun a lot because my baby was about five months old and I was breast-feeding, and one afternoon I had her on my lap and my back was in the sun and I burnt," she explained.
"I had an itchy spot on my back, and I thought it was a mosquito bite. I didn't think much of it.
"I felt it and went, 'Oh it's a mosquito bite,' it wasn't until four weeks later when I was at home and it was itching and I went, 'Hang on a minute,' that's a bit long for a mosquito bite, and asked my husband to have a look, and he went, 'That's not a bite,' and took a picture, and when I looked at it, I went, 'I think I know what that is'."
She explained, "Originally, it was a dark freckle I'd had on my back for many years. It wasn't raised, it wasn't a mole, it was just a freckle."
Despite being cancer-free now, Natasha remains on high alert after experiencing several health scares since last year.
"Now, I have to be really vigilant and check my skin all the time. Since then, a few things have appeared on my skin, and I've had to go back to the dermatologist, and they're on the watch list.
"This is probably something I'll have to keep an eye on for the rest of my life."
Earlier this year, Natasha opened up about her ordeal on Celebrity Skin Talk with Scott McGlynn, saying: "I actually had skin cancer last year.
"I had a Basal-cell carcinoma removed from my back, and it was a massive wake-up call for me. It was like, 'Oh.'
"I have burnt my back so much over the years, and I used sunbeds when I was younger. You know, back in the 90s, it was like everyone used a sunbed before you went on your night out on a Saturday, and the repercussions of that are now I have to be super vigilant in the sun, like I need to have my high factors on.
"I can't be burning. I have to check my skin religiously for changes in like moles and freckles.
"And, you know, there have been things since then that have come up, and I've had to go and have a look, you know, the microscope on and keeping an eye on a few things.
"So, like a massive wake-up call, and I'm just a big advocate now - get your SPF on! Protect your skin!"
She continued: "I'm fine, honestly. It was found, it was cut away, and yeah, we move on. But it was a kind of 'Oh, I'm not invincible moment.'
"These things do happen to you sometimes, and you've just got to look after yourself."
Following her skin cancer diagnosis, which she believes was linked to her sunbed use in the 90s, Natasha warns of the dangers of sunbeds. Cancer Research UK echoes this warning, stating that "Sunbeds use high intensity UV radiation for quick tanning. UV radiation can damage the DNA in your skin cells. This can lead to skin cancer, including melanoma, which is the most serious type of skin cancer."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Kate Garraway felt 'it was no longer safe' while caring for Derek Draper
Kate Garraway has spoken candidly about the struggles she faced while caring for her late husband Derek Draper as he battled long Covid before his tragic death. Kate Garraway has bravely shared the challenges she faced while caring for her late husband Derek Draper, admitting there was a point when she no longer felt safe. Derek passed away at the age of 56 in 2022 after suffering a cardiac arrest. His health continued to decline following a long battle with health issues stemming from long Covid. Derek's condition worsened significantly after he caught Covid in March 2020, leading to his sad death four years later in January last year. Good Morning Britain host Kate stood by his side, taking on the role of his main carer. However, she has disclosed that exhaustion reached such a level at one point that she feared the situation had become a hazard for both herself and her children, reports the Mirror. In a conversation with the Sun, Kate detailed a three week period where there was a lack of care for Derek as authorities deliberated over which agency would be most appropriate to assist the family. During this time, she "had no choice but to try to get through looking after Derek 24/7 completely alone". Kate admitted: "By the end I was so sleep-deprived I was scared it was no longer safe - for me, for the children, let alone for Derek." She continued, "In desperation I called health services again and this time refused to get off the phone until some answer was given. In the end, the person on the other end of the phone, who was also clearly exhausted, told me, 'There is nothing I can do but - and this isn't official - you are not alone and what I always say to people is take him to AandE and leave him there, then they legally have to do something.'" Kate was taken aback that it had come to this point, questioning how the best solution seemed to be to "abandon" someone who wasn't safe to be left alone. She expressed gratitude for family members who assisted in the dreadful situation, but acknowledged that others might not be as fortunate. Kate also confessed to still experiencing a "tsunami of sadness", often waking up in the middle of the night in a panic thinking she hasn't given her husband his medication. She previously shared the poignant last moments she and her two children spent with Derek. In a conversation last year, Kate recalled how proud dad Derek told his children, Darcey and Billy: "You're the best children anyone could ask for. Look after mum, be good for her." Tragically, this was the last time Derek saw his two children before falling into a coma. Kate openly praised her children for their handling of their father's condition and passing. Speaking on Good Morning Britain in February last year in 2024, Kate said: "It was one of those stop-the-clock moments, where you want the world to stop. "It swamps you. We now have 24 hours, [which] turned out to be more of a month, of fighting on and fighting on, following the prognosis that he won't make it through. For the children when they heard he won't make it through, they've heard it so many times. "They were so beautiful, the children, about that. They individually had time with him on his own and Darcey said, 'If, dad, you can't do this, it's okay. Don't worry about us'. And I had similar conversations, a chance to hold his hand and smell his skin and hold him all the way through, and some people don't get that."
Daily Record
11 hours ago
- Daily Record
GMB's Kate Garraway reveals terrifying moment ITV staff rushed her to hospital over heart attack fears
Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway has revealed the moment she feared she was having a heart attack just before going live on air Kate Garraway has opened up about a frightening moment when she feared she was having a heart attack, which prompted Good Morning Britain staff to rush her to hospital. The 58-year-old presenter revealed that Dr Hilary Jones urged the show's producers to seek her immediate medical care after she experienced a serious health episode in November 2022. At the time, Kate was caring for her husband Derek Draper, who was battling complications from COVID. She spoke candidly about how much her own health took a backseat and suffered as she dealt with her husband's health battles. Recalling the incident, Kate described it as waking up with "searing chest pain" but pushed herself to make her way to the studio for the live broadcast. Once there, her condition rapidly got worse, the Mirror reports. Speaking to The Sun, Kate shared: "I could barely move, but I forced myself into the car. On the way in, I threw up. "By the time I arrived at the studio, something was clearly wrong. Dr Hilary told the producers to call an ambulance. Instead of going on air, I was in hospital, wired to machines, with doctors fearing a heart attack." Fortunately, Kate's health scare wasn't an attack, but was instead described as a 'heart event'. She continued: "The stress of fighting for Derek to get the support he needed along with the physical demands of being a primary carer 24 hours a day was such a strain that my body was feeling the effect." She revealed she had also spotted other signs of her own issues, but had no time to rest. Kate admitted that her autoimmune thyroid condition has "worsened significantly" and revealed that she might need surgery. Kate has often shared the struggles she faced while trying to care for her husband Derek, who died in January 2025 after suffering a cardiac arrest. She also reveals she continues to experience a "tsunami of sadness" as she wakes up in the middle of the night panicking that she's forgotten to give him his medicine. Kate, who shares two children with Derek, previously shared that she held her husband's hand until the very end. She recalled that, while sitting in the ambulance with an oxygen mask on before being taken to hospital, Derek spoke to his family for the last time. In that moment, he made one final selfless request. According to Kate, proud dad Derek spoke to Darcey and Billy, the last time he saw them before going into a coma, saying: "You're the best children anyone could ask for. Look after mum, be good for her." Kate praised her two children for the way they handled the sad passing of their father in a chat on Good Morning Britain in February 2024. Kate said: "It was one of those stop-the-clock moments, where you want the world to stop. It swamps you. We now have 24 hours, [which] turned out to be more of a month, of fighting on and fighting on, following the prognosis that he won't make it through. For the children when they heard he won't make it through, they've heard it so many times. "They were so beautiful, the children, about that. They individually had time with him on his own and Darcey said, 'If, dad, you can't do this, it's okay. Don't worry about us'. And I had similar conversations, a chance to hold his hand and smell his skin and hold him all the way through, and some people don't get that."
Edinburgh Live
12 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
ITV GMB's Susanna Reid in 'concern' for Richard Madeley just minutes into show
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Get the latest Edinburgh Live breaking news on WhatsApp Minutes into Wednesday's (June 11) Good Morning Britain, host Richard Madeley sparked worry among viewers with his hoarse voice. On the popular ITV morning show, Richard and co-host Susanna Reid delved into the day's top stories from the UK and beyond. The duo covered the severe unrest in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, and looked ahead to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' forthcoming spending review. Following Martin Lewis' alerts about winter fuel scams on Tuesday, they also demonstrated how viewers can avoid falling prey to such cons. Yet, it was Richard's raspy throat that caught the audience's attention early in the programme, prompting Susanna to express her "concern" for her colleague, reports the Manchester Evening News. "I'm a bit concerned we're going to lose you through the programme," Susanna remarked to Richard, who gestured towards his throat and responded: "What, this thing?". He continued: "I think it'll get stronger through the programme. That's my prediction." Later, Richard updated viewers that he had received some honey and water, reassuring them he'd be on the mend by tomorrow. "If it's annoying you, I'm really sorry. Tomorrow it'll be better," he assured. Viewers quickly reacted on X (formerly Twitter), voicing their worries for Richard, with some questioning why he wasn't substituted. "Why on earth have you let Richard take the chair today when he can hardly talk?" one viewer questioned. Another viewer commented: "Richard Madeley sounds like Daddy Pig this morning," as a third remarked: "Richard's ill, should have replaced him today." Completing the chorus of concern, one fan noted: "Richard's voice is so hoarse." This comes in the wake of Richard disclosing he suffered a double wrist fracture while in France during the past weekend. In other segments of today's programme, Richard and Susanna caught up with the UK's Eurovision act, Remember Monday, who shared their experiences from Basel, Switzerland last month. Additionally, the presenters chatted with Reform UK's newly appointed chairman, David Bull, who has stepped into the role following Zia Yusuf's resignation last week due to a disagreement with a fellow party MP.
