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OPENING UP: Samira Mighty

LOVE ISLAND star Samira Mighty has opened up about a cancer scare after finding a lump on her breast.

Samira took part in the ITV2 reality show in 2018, and revealed that she found a lump years before she went on the show, only to be told by doctors there was nothing to worry about.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, she said she recently noticed that the lump had grown bigger, and feared the worst – especially after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014.

"It was really dramatic," said Samira. "I immediately thought I had breast cancer. You Google, Wikipedia, and think you’re going to die.

"It did play on my mind, because you’d be drying off after the shower and feel this lump and think, something is not right. Or I’d be ill and in my head I’d connect it to the lump."

Thankfully, the former theatre performer was given the news last week that it was a benign growth called fibroadenoma, which poses no risk of turning malignant – though she is getting it removed to be on the safe side.

Following her mother’s diagnosis and remission, Samira said: "You think that will never happen to your family, then it does and you don’t think it’s real. I hope people are more aware how quickly things can change. My mum has friends who are diagnosed and then they’re dead. It’s savage.

"Check your boobs and if you find something, just go to the GP. Look how quickly I went and now, a week later, I’m getting surgery."

Samira's mum continues to raise awareness of breast cancer and along with her daughter is supporting Black Women Rising, a project which aims to encourage black women who have been diagnosed with cancer to connect and talk about their experiences.

Samira also praised Dr Alex George, whom she was coupled with for much of Love Island, with helping her to be more open about her health.

"He’s like my personal GP," she added. "Since meeting Doctor Alex I’ve been enlightened to many things, and since then I’ve discovered how important it is to look after yourself.

"You just don’t think, 'Oh, I’m going to check my boobs,' but it is so important. Just spend five minutes feeling them. And at any age! I was 19 when I first found the lump and I wouldn’t have thought about it otherwise."

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