Strictly Come Dancing star Alex Kingston has revealed she secretly battled uterine (womb) cancer last year.

The former ER actress, 62, was diagnosed with the disease in May and subsequently underwent a hysterectomy and radiation therapy. 

Alex confessed that she had been experiencing symptoms for a long time but had put it down to her age – until she ‘haemorrhaged’ on stage while performing in a play last summer.

The mother-of-one explained that while battling cancer took up a ‘huge part’ of her life, she now feels like ‘Superwoman’ after overcoming the disease and signing up for Strictly. 

She explained that she had dismissed feeling unwell because of her age, sharing: ‘I never went down the cancer road in my head. It was a shock, because I have a very positive outlook on life in general. 

‘Even though my body was telling me there was something very seriously wrong, I kept thinking: “Oh, I’ve got a bad UTI or fibroids”.’

Strictly’s Alex Kingston has revealed she secretly battled uterine (womb) cancer last year. The actress, 62, was diagnosed in May and underwent a hysterectomy (pictured last week) 

The mother-of-one explained that while battling cancer took up a ‘huge part’ of her life, she now feels like ‘Superwoman’ after overcoming the disease and signing up for Strictly 

Alex, who was starring in The Other Boleyn Girl at the West Sussex theatre in April and May last year (pictured) was diagnosed after she ‘haemorrhaged’ on stage

Alex, who was starring in The Other Boleyn Girl at the West Sussex theatre in April and May last year, waited until her run in the play was over before seeking medical treatment and was told doctors found cancer in her fallopian tubes but it hadn’t spread to her ovaries.

She added to The Independent: ‘Despite having gone through all of that – and any cancer is really tough to accept, to steel yourself to go through all of the necessary procedures to get back into health – the minute I had the operation, I suddenly felt like myself again… [I] hadn’t felt like that for years.’ 

Alex previously told Daily Mail about her battle with perimenopause, which she believed to have been linked to her fertility struggles. 

She welcomed daughter Salome, now 24, with ex-husband Florian Haertel in 2001 as a result of in vitro fertilisation. 

Alex said in 2014: ‘I went through about 13 rounds of IVF before I got pregnant with Salome. It was very tough. You are so desperate, you don’t really understand what the long-term side effects can be. 

‘That’s what they don’t tell you in the medical profession. I put on weight with all the IVF – it’s insidious because it happens so slowly and then it’s almost impossible to get rid of it. 

‘I was also perimenopausal very early; I have no proof, but I feel that it was linked to the IVF and the different hormones I was taking. 

‘There are things that I think aren’t fully explained to women when they are going through all that.’

Alex previously told the Daily Mail about her battle with perimenopause, which she believed to have been linked to undergoing 13 rounds of IVF (pictured with daughter Salome in 2016) 

Womb cancer affects around 9,7000 women every year in the UK. Nicknamed a silent killer, when the disease is diagnosed at later stages, only 15 per cent of women will survive. Peaches Trust wants to raise better awareness for the disease, so women can catch it early

In the same interview Alex expressed her gratitude at life. 

Asked whether she had a motto for life, she mused: ‘I don’t have one, but I do feel keenly – and I know this is going to sound really cheesy – that I am lucky to be alive and I don’t want to take a single day for granted. 

‘It upsets me when I see people waste their lives.’

Last month, she told the Daily Mail that she had signed up for Strictly in a bid to ‘do it for women of a certain age’.

At 62, the Doctor Who star is the oldest woman on this year’s series, which includes Amber Davies, Vicky Pattinson, and Balvinder Sopal.

Asked about whether she had any hesitations signing up for Strictly, she told the Daily Mail last month: ‘I had to sit and really think about whether I would be up for it physically.

‘But at the same time, I just felt like, “come on, Alex, do it for women of a certain age.”‘

Last week, she admitted she was finding the process ‘challenging’ after her health woes.

During an appearance on This Morning with professional partner Johannes Radebe, she confessed: ‘It’s really different and more challenging than I thought it would be to be honest but I’m doing it for women of a certain age.

‘For anyone over 60, age is just a number and to prove that after a certain age you are not dead below the knee.’

Alex added: ‘I had quite complex health issues last year, which I have recovered from. 

‘Out of that, it’s just that thing you hear over and over again, which is life is too short if there is anything you want to do be brave and just go and do it.’

She signed up for Strictly aged 62 in a bid to ‘do it for women of a certain age’. The Doctor Who star (pictured with Johannes Radebe) is the oldest woman on this year’s series

Alex previously told the Daily Mail that she had long wanted to dance in the Strictly ballroom and had been particularly inspired by her friend Sarah Hadland, 54, who reached the final last year with professional dancer Vito Coppola, 32. 

Alex said: ‘Years ago, we [Sarah Hadland and Alex] were in a play together and we both admitted to each other that secretly we really wanted to do Strictly.

‘I then said, “Well, I can’t do Strictly if you’re on Strictly because you will win.”

‘And then when I saw that she was on it, I was so thrilled for her because I knew that she was fulfilling a dream that she shared with me.

‘So I reached out to her and asked her what the experience was like, and she was really great.

‘She was very honest about the overall experience and how intense it can be. How overwhelming it can sometimes be, but also what an incredibly positive thing it is to do.

‘It was through talking with Sarah, because she didn’t sugarcoat it, she was very clear about how challenging it is.

‘She allowed me to make my own decision, ultimately, and I decided that I would follow in her footsteps.’

Alex, who played River Song in Doctor Who alongside David Tennant and Matt Smith, said her Strictly goal was ‘to get through it without being injured’.

STRICTLY LINEUP 2025

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey

Age: 36

Profession: Olympic Sprinter and Gladiator

Harry says: ‘I’ll be bringing tons of energy to light up the dance floor. Let’s hope I’m as quick picking up the routines as I am on the track.’

Alex Kingston

Age: 62

Profession: Doctor Who actress

The actress teases: ‘My hips don’t lie.’

Balvinder Sopal 

Age: 46

Profession: EastEnders actress

Balvinder says: ‘I’m far too excited to put into words how I feel but I’m incredibly excited at the prospect of dancing across the ballroom.’

La Voix 

Age: 45

Profession: Drag performer 

She says: ‘Strictly is a national institution and I can’t wait to get started. All that’s left to say is: good luck to my partner! Here’s hoping they can help me go from La Voix into La Danse.’ 

Thomas Skinner 

Age: 34

Profession: Reality star and entrepreneur 

He says: ‘Bring on the sequins, sambas and most importantly, the BOSH to the ballroom!’ 

Vicky Pattison

Age: 37

Profession: Reality TV star

She says: ‘I’m absolutely buzzing to be part of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up… but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified.’ 

Karen Carney  

Age: 38

Profession: Football pundit

She says: ‘I’m such a huge fan of the show and I can’t believe I’m finally getting the chance to take part.’ 

George Clark

Age: 25 

Profession: YouTuber 

He says:  ‘Never thought I’d say this… but I’m doing Strictly! Honestly, I’ve got no idea what I’m doing but I’m excited to get stuck in … and potentially fall over a fair bit.’

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

Age: 53

Profession: Former Chelsea and Netherlands striker and ex-England coach.

He says: ‘Swapping the pitch for the ballroom is certainly not something I’ve done before but I’m looking forward to tackling a fun challenge! Bring on a new type of footwork, with hopefully no own goals.’

Ellie Goldstein  

Age: 23

Profession: Model, influencer and disability ambassador 

She says: ‘It’s a show I’ve loved watching for so long, and the chance to now be part of it feels like a dream’.

Chris Robshaw

Age: 39

Profession: Rugby player

He says: ‘This is about as far out of my comfort zone as it gets! I’m hoping to take my dad-dancing to a whole new level, and my mum can’t wait to drag me along to her Zumba class’.  

Stefan Dennis

Age: 66

Profession: Actor

He says: ‘Looking forward to the sparkle and reaching for the sky.’

Ross King 

Age: 63

Profession: Showbiz correspondent

He says: ‘I can’t wait to learn from the best, meet my fellow contestants, and, most importantly… try not to step on too many toes!’

 Lewis Cope

Age: 30

Profession: Actor

He says: ‘I’m so excited to be swapping the Dales for the dance floor and joining this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.’

Amber Davies 

 Age: 28

 Profession: West End star

 She says: ‘This has been the craziest 24 hours of my life. I’ve watched Strictly with my family since I was younger and to now be part of the show is a dream come true.’