Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian revealed she was ‘gutted’ after she shaved her head following her breast cancer diagnosis.
The actress, who played Becca Dean on the Channel 4 soap, will undergo a mastectomy and radiation treatment next year and is currently having chemotherapy.
‘It was a total shock,’ she said of receiving her diagnosis. ‘I have mornings when I wake up and I’ve forgotten… and then suddenly I remember. I’m still trying to process it.’
The soap star discovered the lump when breastfeeding youngest daughter Isabella, who was born in February last year.
In her latest Instagram Story, she shared a picture of herself wearing a blonde wig while leaning on a propped-up pillow.
‘I’ve found losing my hair a lot harder than I imagined… I did shave my head in the end and didn’t feel the ‘taking back the power’ bit that people talk about,’ she penned.
‘Just felt a bit gutted. However, being an actor I’ve worn wigs lots and I’ve found wearing a wig sometimes really helps me feel more ‘normal.’
The star added: ‘This is a fun one I bought online for @hairweavon_com I was staggered by how much wigs can cost so I’ve found a couple of places that do really good lace front synthetic ones.’
Ali, who also starred in Doctors, made it clear that she intends to beat cancer, revealing her desire to return to acting.
‘I will get through this and come out the other side,’ she said. ‘After my diagnosis, I went on Instagram and saw a post by my friend Dominic Power, my former co-star in The Bill, and I could see he was on set in Hollyoaks.
Ali rose to fame on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, playing Becca Dean for a total of six years.
Becca featured in several huge storylines during her stint on the show, including an inappropriate relationship with student Justin Burton.
‘I think the fantastic thing – and remains to be the fantastic thing – about Hollyoaks is that I think they go for it with storylines, and break new ground,’ she told when Hollyoaks re-aired select episodes from the storyline in question during the Covid-19 pandemic when new episodes of the show were being filmed.
