Strictly Come Dancing star and acclaimed actress Alex Kingston has bravely opened up about her "unexpected" cancer ordeal, describing the treatment process as profoundly "emotionally exhausting." The 62-year-old performer, who graced the Strictly dance floor in 2025, has shared intimate details of her uterine cancer diagnosis in 2024 and the challenging journey that followed.
A Sudden Diagnosis During a Performance
Speaking on the Experience Is Everything with Saga podcast, Kingston revealed that her first noticeable symptom occurred dramatically while she was performing on stage. "We had this bright white stage floor," she recalled. "I was in a scene where we were surrounding Mary Boleyn, who's about to give birth to Henry VIII's child. Whilst this scene is going on and I'm standing at the head of the bed, I started haemorrhaging."
The actress, best known for her role as River Song in Doctor Who, admitted she was completely taken by surprise. "I absolutely did not think I had cancer," she said. "I was about to do another job and I had to pull out when the diagnosis then did eventually come through. So that was a shock."
The Emotional Toll of Treatment
Kingston underwent a hysterectomy and radiation therapy to treat her condition, and she spoke candidly about the physical and psychological impact. "Radiation therapy, it's tiring, but it's more tiring because you've got to do it every single day," she explained. "You can't really focus on anything else; it takes so much time out of your day and it's emotionally exhausting."
Remarkably, she found strength in completing the treatment, stating: "Once I was through that, I felt like superwoman."
Finding Support in Unexpected Places
The actress also reflected on how her fellow cast members responded during the on-stage incident that first signaled something was wrong. "I wasn't embarrassed at all," she said. "I didn't know what was happening and, certainly, when it was happening on stage, I was more concerned about the rest of the actors being freaked out and embarrassed."
She praised the theatrical community's solidarity, adding: "But you know, the thing is, actors on the whole, we're very supportive of one another."
A Surprising Perspective on Shock
Kingston offered an unexpected perspective on how the suddenness of her diagnosis may have helped her cope. "But I think because I was so not prepared, it happened so fast, that actually, in a funny sort of way, I didn't have time to be scared because I hadn't mulled over it," she reflected. "I hadn't dwelled on it, I just sort of dealt with it."
Her candid revelations provide a powerful insight into the reality of cancer treatment, combining physical challenges with significant emotional strain, while highlighting the importance of support systems during such difficult health journeys.
