Michelle Heaton has thrown her support behind Amanda Holden and her decision to post her breast cancer screening online.
Last week, Amanda shared a video of herself having a mammogram to Instagram.
And, after having a double mastectomy after discovering she carried the faulty BRCA2 gene, Michelle has given the Britain’s Got Talent judge her full backing.
Michelle opted to have a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction in 2012 after discovering she carried the gene that increased her chances of getting cancer.
What did Michelle Heaton say about Amanda’s video?
Now, speaking exclusively to Entertainment Daily as part of Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness month, Michelle says Amanda stripping off can only be a good thing.
Posting the video of herself topless to Instagram, Amanda said: “My boobs always seem to be in the headlines for silly reasons so I hope that changes today as I document my own mammogram.”
And, Michelle told ED!, it’s “absolutely” a good thing that Amanda posted the video online.
She added: “If I looked like her, I’d get naked too!”
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Do Michelle’s kids know about the BRCA2 gene?
It’s been a tough few years for mum-of-two Michelle, as she underwent numerous operations – including a hysterectomy – to reduce her chances of getting cancer.
The BRCA2 gene can sadly be hereditary, so how much has Michelle told daughter Faith, almost nine, about what’s been happening to her mum?
Faith understands what cancer is, she knows it’s bad and that there’s different forms of it and she knows that you don’t necessarily die from it but I’ve not gone into the depth of breast cancer with her.
“The kids know pretty much everything. I’ve always been open with them because they’re going to find out anyway,” said Michelle, who is also mum to six-year-old son AJ with husband Hugh Hanley.
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“One time when I picked Faith up from school she came out and said: ‘Mummy, were you married before Daddy?’ And that was it, I knew then that people are going to talk. Other kids in their class have older siblings, it’s no one’s fault, it’s the way of the world.
“But we’ve always been open and she knows what the scars are. So she does understand, she’s very clever,” Michelle added.
Faith even plays on it a little bit, Michelle revealed.
“She says: ‘I want a sister!’ and looks at me. And I’m like: ‘Faith, you know Mummy can’t have any more children.’ and she says: ‘Oh yeah, I forgot.’
“I have to laugh as it’s her little way of winding me up but if someone else said it to me I’d probably be hurt,” she said.
Daughter Faith knows ‘what cancer is’
One thing that does hurt is thinking about the impact all that Michelle has been through could have on her kids in the future.
“I do find it difficult sometimes to talk about personal things, how I feel and things that I’ve said to the kids,” she revealed.
“But that’s why sometimes I’ve pushed past maybe getting too emotional about it. It’s never easy to talk about my own journey when it comes to talking about the children and the knock-on effect of that.
“I talk about me without crying, and then when it comes to possibly hurting or seeing the damage it might have caused the kids in the future, then I’m gone,” she added.
With Faith a potential carrier, Michelle revealed she has spoken to her daughter about cancer.
“She knows why I had my operations, to eradicate as best I can the risk of it. Faith understands what cancer is, she knows it’s bad and that there’s different forms of it. She knows that you don’t necessarily die from it but I’ve not gone into the depth of breast cancer with her,” she said.
“She’s just developing as an adolescent and she’s developing quite quickly and early for her age and she’s got a lot of hormones in her body, so I think if I loaded her with too much she’d probably hate me for the rest of my life.
“I’m getting there anyway because I’m a mum and she’s my child,” she quipped, “so I’m already starting to be her least favourite person.”
Michelle models this year’s George at Asda Tickled Pink new activewear range. Raising money for Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel, you can shop the collection here.
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