Ali Bastian's cancer fears

Former 'Hollyoaks' star Ali Bastian worried about losing her "identity" after hair loss amid her cancer battle.

The 42-year-old actress - who played Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap from 2001 to 2007 - was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in June and admitted that losing her hair was a very difficult part of the process.

She told The Sun's Fabulous magazine: "I trot around with a bald head all the time at home. But I'd had this fear that becoming bald from chemo was me 'becoming' a cancer patient, and that was all anyone would see. I thought it would be like losing my identity.

"It frightened me that something which had previously been invisible would now be very visible. The hair loss from chemo is like an outward expression of how raw you feel inside. But losing your hair is a small price to pay to be well."

Ali's doctors initially believed the lump on her breast was a blocked duct from breastfeeding her daughter Izzy, 22, and she admitted she is "so relieved" that it did not go untreated.

The actress - who also has Isla, four, with husband David O'Mahony - said: "I’m so relieved I found the lump when I did.

“Pregnancy and breastfeeding are sensitive times for women, and we’re not exempt from needing to check our breasts during this time.

“If there’s anything that doesn’t feel right, get it checked. I’ll do anything I can to raise awareness for women to check their breasts.”