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Victoria Derbyshire hailed as “role model” after overcoming cancer and mastectomy to bare all on Real Full Monty Ladies Night

Mum-of-two broke down in tears during rehearsals

By Nancy Brown

Viewers are heaping praise on “brave” and “inspirational” Victoria Derbyshire for conquering crippling self-doubt following her mastectomy, on The Real Full Monty Ladies Night.

The BBC broadcaster broke down in tears during the all-female celebrity group’s first rehearsal as her life-threatening battle with breast cancer came flooding back.

Victoria had multiple crises of confidence and came close to quitting the women’s dance routine to This Is Me, from The Greatest Showman, before taking to the stage on last night’s ITV show.

The emotions come flooding back for Victoria (Credit: ITV)

She was determined to go through with the performance to repay the support other women gave her during her treatment, including breast reconstruction, chemo and radiotherapy.

The 49-year-old wept as the painful memories resurfaced when choreographer Ashley Banjo, of Diversity, invited her to show the group her moves at their initial meet-up.

Read more: Real Full Monty Ladies Night’s Coleen Nolan begs “angry” Michelle Heaton to get help five years after double mastectomy

She said: “I haven’t cried for ages about having cancer or my body or whatever.

“I could just feel these hot tears because I thought, ‘Oh God, this is so embarrassing, I’m going to cry in front of all these women.”

Reality hits her at the first rehearsal (Credit: ITV)

Victoria, who is now free of cancer, became emotional recalling her diagnosis. “‘I thought, ‘Okay, that’s it, my time is up, I am probably going to die.

“‘I’m not going to see my boys grow up, I’m not going to get old with Mark’.”

After watching burlesque dancers on stage at the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris, she dropped a bombshell, telling Coleen Nolan: “I don’t want to do it.

“It’s not right. We could do something else to raise awareness.”

The broadcaster goes through with the routine (Credit: ITV)

But overnight she had a change of heart. “When I was diagnosed I had so much support from other women everywhere. And we have to do the same for other women,” she said.

“And if that involves creating a fun, noisy event, obviously I’m going to do it.

“I had a mastectomy, so I want to do as much as I can to make sure other women dont’get breast cancer, or if they do, that they spot it early.”

The Real Full Monty Ladies Night (Credit: ITV)

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Her strength and bravery received overwhelming support on Twitter.

The performance by Victoria, Coleen and fellow celebs Michelle Heaton, Ruth Madoc, Helen Lederer, Sally Dexter, Megan McKenna and Sarah-Jane Crawford followed the men’s live routine 24 hours earlier.

Nancy Brown
Associate Editor