Ben Cohen's ex-wife Abby has shared her cancer diagnosis after experiencing just one symptom.
Abby, who shares twins with her ex-husband Ben, revealed her ordeal on Instagram, opting to post an emotional montage of video clips and photos documenting her recent health battle.
In her post, Abby, 44, included numerous hospital photos, a photo of her stoma bag, snapshots with her twin daughters and a handful of images showing her recovering at home.
Her emotional caption read: "This was and is the toughest yet. I’m unlucky, but lucky, to have been warned only once with a symptom of this terrible illness."
She went on to say: "With huge thanks to the NHS for saving my life & taking good care of me when I felt so scared & most vulnerable. I can't express enough how lucky I am to have such amazing family & friends that have helped me through this incredibly tough journey."
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Issuing a warning to her followers, Abby finished by adding: "Never ignore your body when it's trying to warn you, I didn't & it's given me a chance to live my new life. In time and with the right treatment, I'm hoping this WILL all be a distant memory for me. 'You never know how strong you are until it's your only choice.'"
Fans and friends were quick to offer messages of support, with one writing: "Sending so much love and strength Abby," while a second remarked: "Oh my gosh, so sorry to hear this lovely! Hope your recovery goes well! I'm thinking of you and your family. You've got this!!"
A third added: "Ahh Abby, so sorry you've had such a tough time… but happy to hear you're on the mend," and a fourth commented: "You are an incredibly strong and brave lady Abby! Sending you so much love and strength."
Abby shares twin daughters Harriette and Isabelle, 15, with her ex, Ben. The former couple confirmed their split just months after Ben appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013.
Ben later hit the headlines in 2014 when he embarked on a relationship with his former Strictly partner, Kristina Rihanoff.
Abby, who has since found love with her partner David Warner, said: "I'm happier in my own skin and I'm not that broken girl who used to be married to a famous rugby player."
Speaking to The Sun in 2019, Abby revealed: "I'm not healed, I'll never get over it but you just have to, I spent four years moping around crying - it's poisonous.
"I spent a fortune on psychics because I wanted an answer but you won't find one and you're always asking why, it's the worst feeling, I look back to when it first happened to me," she added.
"I can't even mentally go there, I will never get over what happened, but I've learnt to cope with it and I've developed strategies that have helped me to try to mend myself."