Reality TV star Olivia Attwood has emphasised the critical importance of breast cancer checks, stating: "You can't die out of embarrassment." The former Love Island contestant, aged 35, previously discovered a "quite sizeable lump" on her breast in 2020, which was biopsied and found to be benign but later removed.
Personal Experience Shared
In an interview with the Press Association, Attwood opened up about her own health scare as she encourages individuals to "look after your health" and hopes to "spread awareness" about early detection of breast cancer. Recounting the incident, she described feeling something "kind of hard" on her breast and promptly consulted a breast specialist. "He said there was quite a sizeable lump there. He decided that the best thing for me to do was to have it removed and biopsied – luckily, it was benign," she explained.
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." Reflecting on the experience, she noted: "It's helped me know what I'm looking for, and how to examine myself properly; I think a lot of women don't actually know how to do this."
Family History and Vigilance
The former The Only Way Is Essex star revealed that the type of cyst she had is "quite common" and that her mother similarly had "fatty lumps removed from her breast." This family history helped her stay "vigilant" when checking herself, highlighting the importance of a supportive network that "encourage you to look after your health."
Attwood offered straightforward advice: "Don't be fearful, and definitely don't be embarrassed. 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 that these checks could save your life."
Campaign Collaboration
The star has teamed up with Tombola and Breast Cancer Now for a new campaign advocating for regular breast checks. She discussed the issue with Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle on her Olivia's House podcast, where Coyle reflected on her former bandmate Sarah Harding, who died aged 39 in 2021 from breast cancer. The episode, releasing Thursday, addresses how young women and girls are often "scared" to check their breasts.
Attwood told PA: "There's loads of really good, tangible, bite-sized bits of information that I hope will resonate with a lot of different people." The pair encourage people to check in on friends and remind them to examine their breasts, following research from Tombola and Breast Cancer Now revealing that 38% of women admit to neglecting their health.
Attwood said the campaign "seemed like something that was really good to get involved in," adding: "The whole takeaway from this is community, friendship, and encouraging your friends to check their breasts. Let's take the embarrassment out of the conversation and encourage your friends and your family members, and the females in your family to check their breasts."
