Mum-of-two Nikki Tapper found a lump in her breast while she was on holiday in 2011.
And she immediately knew, even before she got the test results, that she had cancer.
Speaking to the Daily Express, Nikki - who appears on Gogglebox alongside husband Jonathan, son Josh, and daughter Amy - she explained: “It was like being swept on to a conveyor belt.
“I had the mammogram, followed by an MRI, a biopsy and the worst weekend of my life.
“I just wanted to be told, ‘This is what it is, and you’re going to be OK.’ I couldn’t think beyond that.
“When my specialist said it was early-stage cancer, I was actually relieved.”
Following surgery, 42-year-old Nikki went through chemotherapy - something which, as a mother, she found difficult.
Particularly because her daughter found it so hard to cope with.
She explained: “Josh wanted to make a fuss of me and make visitors cups of tea. Amy was the opposite.
“She didn’t really want to be in the house at all. She’s very expressive and actually told me, ‘I don’t want to be around you. I don’t want to see you in bed.’”
Nikki is now completely cancer-free, but takes medication daily.
She has now become involved with Future Dreams’ Brick Appeal, a charity which aims to set up dedicated centres for breast cancer sufferers and their families, helping them to lead a normal life by offering free practical and emotional support, therapies and counselling.
Nikki said: “Obviously my family knew what I was going through on a day-to-day basis but they’d didn’t know what I was feeling and thinking all the time.
“You don’t want to burden them and only somebody who’s been through it understands. We can’t prevent breast cancer, but we can help people to cope, even if it’s just talking.”
***Future Dreams’ Brick Appeal aims to raise £5 million to build Future Dreams House in central London. ***
For more information, visit futuredreams.org.uk.