Former Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton has revealed she was diagnosed with skin cancer last year, initially dismissing the symptoms as a mosquito bite.
The 42-year-old disclosed her health battle during an emotional television appearance on Friday, June 6.
Hamilton explained how she discovered the cancer whilst on holiday in Majorca with her five-month-old baby.
"I'd been on holiday, and I wasn't actually in the sun a lot because my baby was only about five months old and I was breastfeeding," she told ITV's Good Morning Britain viewers.
Natasha Hamilton (middle) found fame in girl group Atomic Kitten
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The singer noticed an itchy spot on her back after getting sunburnt one afternoon.
"I just thought it was a mosquito bite, didn't think anything," Hamilton admitted.
It wasn't until four weeks later that Hamilton became concerned about the persistent itch.
"I asked my husband to have a look and he went, 'Oh, that's not a bite.' And he took the picture, and when I looked at it, I went, 'Okay, I think I know what that is'," she revealed.
Natasha Hamilton divulged her skin cancer diagnosis on Friday
ITV
She added the spot had originally been a dark freckle on her back for many years. "It wasn't raised, it wasn't a mole, it was just a freckle," Hamilton explained.
Following medical consultation, she was diagnosed with basal-cell carcinoma, a type of non-melanoma skin cancer. The cancerous growth was subsequently removed from her back.
Hamilton disclosed she had first spoken about her diagnosis in May during an appearance on the Celebrity Skin Talk podcast, before discussing it publicly on television today.
The singer believes her extensive sunbed use during her Atomic Kitten days may have contributed to the cancer.
"People of my age will probably feel the same, or remember, if you were going on a night out, you used a sunbed because you wanted that sun-kissed look to make yourself feel good and give you a bit of confidence," she said.
Hamilton also admitted to using sunbeds before major television appearances like Top of the Pops.
"There was a sunbed shop based in the hotel that we stayed in all the time in London, and I'd use tan accelerators, and I can honestly say I don't think there was ever a time when I went on a sunbed that I didn't burn," she revealed.
Former Atomic Kitten star Natasha Hamilton talked about the risks of sunbeds and not protecting skin
ITV
The singer also disclosed that her mother Maria had been diagnosed with the same type of cancer two years earlier.
Hamilton is now cancer-free but must remain vigilant about her skin health.
"So now I have to be really vigilant. I have to check my skin all the time. Since then, I've had a few things appear on my skin where I've had to go back to the dermatologist, and they're on the watch list," she said.
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Atomic Kitten in 2003
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The diagnosis served as what Hamilton called a "massive wake-up call". She emphasised the importance of regular skin checks and sun protection, particularly for those with fair skin like herself.
"I'm type one skin anyway, I'm not supposed to be in such intense sun," she explained. The singer now uses high-factor sun protection and regularly monitors her skin for any changes in moles or freckles.
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