Don't delay breast checks, says TOWIE's Attwood

Reality TV star Olivia Attwood has said it is "very important" for women and girls to check for breast cancer and "you can't die out of embarrassment".

The former Love Island and The Only Way Is Essex celebrity, 35, has previously spoken about finding "quite a sizeable lump" on her breast in 2020, which was found to be benign, but was removed.

Attwood opened up about her own experience as she urged individuals to "look after your health" and hoped to "spread awareness" about how to spot early signs of breast cancer.

She has also teamed up with Breast Cancer Now for a new campaign which sees her advocate for this.

Recounting her cancer scare, the star described feeling something "kind of hard" on her breast.

"I went and saw a breast specialist, and he said there was quite a sizeable lump there," she explained.

"He decided that the best thing for me to do was to have it removed and biopsied – luckily, it was benign."

Attwood added: "No-one wants to find a lump. It's not a nice thing.

"It wasn't cancerous, it was just fatty tissue – so everything in my case was fine."

The star said the type of cyst she had was "quite common" and the experience helped her understand what to look out for.

"Don't be fearful, and definitely don't be embarrassed," she encouraged others.

"People that examine you for a living, they do this all day, every single day.

"You can't die out of embarrassment.

"You need to get out of your own head and realise these checks could save your life."

Attwood's campaign has seen her speak on her own podcast to Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle about the topic.

In the episode, which will be released on Thursday, the pair discuss how young women and girls are often "scared" to check their breasts while Coyle reflected on how her former bandmate Sarah Harding died, aged 39, in 2021 because of breast cancer.

The pair are also encouraging people to tell their friends to check their breasts, following new research by Breast Cancer Now which found 38% of women admitted neglecting their health.

Attwood said: "The whole takeaway from this is community, friendship, and encouraging your friends to check their breasts."

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