Alex Kingston has revealed that her time on Strictly Come Dancing served as the 'perfect antidote' to her cancer treatment. The Doctor Who and ER actress, who competed on the BBC show with professional dancer Johannes Radebe last year, was eliminated during Musicals Week in November after landing in the dance-off with Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon.
During her stint on the show, Kingston disclosed that she had been diagnosed with womb cancer and underwent a hysterectomy and radiation treatment in 2024. Speaking in a VT, she said the diagnosis made her fearless and encouraged her to speak out. In a new interview with Saga Magazine, she described how performing on Strictly provided an escape from her turbulent personal period.
“I have to say, I truly loved my experience, and it was the perfect antidote to coming through cancer treatment. To be paired with Johannes Radebe was a dream. He’s got a beautiful soul,” she said. Kingston also revealed that she had to walk away from another TV show due to her diagnosis, something she had never done before and which felt uncomfortable.
The actress is now preparing for her new ITV drama Secret Service, based on the novel by Tom Bradby. The series follows the head of the Russia Desk of the British Secret Intelligence Service learning that a senior British politician could be a potential Russian asset. Kingston said the role was the first she was offered after treatment and felt perfect to ease her back in.
Reflecting on her health journey, Kingston noted that she has always been a positive person and that going through cancer has made her double down on that. She also opened up about her struggles with fertility, undergoing multiple rounds of IVF to conceive her daughter Salome, and wondered if her uterine cancer diagnosis in 2024 might be connected.
