Alex Kingston: Strictly and Doctor Who star reveals womb cancer diagnosis

Actress Alex Kingston has revealed she was diagnosed with womb cancer last year.

The ER and Doctor Who star, who is currently competing on Strictly Come Dancing, told the Independent she had a hysterectomy and radiation therapy during her treatment, which finished late last year.

“I had assumed that the way I was feeling was old age, and I just sort of accepted it,” Kingston, 62, said.

“I thought, ‘OK, this is what it’s like to be in my sixties.’ But a lot of how I was feeling was to do with my illness.”

Kingston said she had been experiencing bloating and aches for some time, but only sought medical help after spotting blood in her urine.

“I never went down the cancer road in my head,” she said. “It was a shock, because I have a very positive outlook on life in general.

“Even though my body was telling me there was something very seriously wrong, I kept thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got a bad UTI or fibroids.'”

She explained that her 2024 was dominated by the diagnosis and subsequent treatment.

“I had a major operation,” she told the newspaper. “I had to have a hysterectomy, I had to go into radiation therapy, and that took up a huge part of my life.”

The actress recalled that she had suffered a haemorrhage while on stage at Chichester Festival Theatre, something she described as “shocking”.

She appeared in The Other Boleyn Girl at the West Sussex theatre in April and May 2024.

After seeking medical attention following the show’s run, Kingston was told the cancer was in her fallopian tubes but had not spread to the ovaries.

“The minute I had the operation, I suddenly felt like myself again,” Kingston said.

The actress urged other women not to ignore any signs of ill health, and to have check-ups if they feel anything is wrong.

Kingston played River Song in BBC One sci-fi series Doctor Who from 2008 to 2015, and starred in US medical drama ER for more than a decade as Dr Elizabeth Corday.

She is currently taking part in Strictly with professional dance partner Johannes Radebe, and the pair topped the leaderboard last week with their samba.

The actress said it was her experience last year that inspired her to say yes to the dancing show, because “life is too short” not to take opportunities you want.

The most common symptom of womb cancer, unexpected vaginal bleeding, can include:

• bleeding after your menopause
• bleeding between periods
• bleeding after sex
• heavy irregular periods
• persistent heavy periods, unresponsive to medical management
• watery or bloody vaginal discharge

However, not all abnormal bleeding is womb cancer so the best advice is to visit your GP to talk about your symptoms.