Michaela Strachan reveals reluctance to wear tight tops during Dancing on Ice appearance after breast cancer battle
Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan has revealed her concerns about wearing tight costumes on Dancing on Ice due to her previous double mastectomy, as she prepares to take to the rink next week.
The 58-year-old wildlife expert, who will appear in the new series starting January 12, has been candid about her wardrobe considerations following her breast cancer surgery.
“Obviously I’m very brave and all that, but I don’t want a tight top on my boobs, thanks very much,” Strachan told the Daily Mail.
The presenter, who underwent reconstructive surgery after her 2014 mastectomy, has specifically requested the show’s stylists take her previous surgery into account when planning her outfits.
Despite her costume concerns, Strachan remains enthusiastic about the challenge, having relocated from her Cape Town home to train at an ice rink in Slough.
Strachan was diagnosed with breast cancer in early 2014 following a routine mammogram in Cape Town, where she lives with her partner Nick Chevallier.
“I went for a routine mammogram on a Monday. That evening the doctor phoned and said, ‘I’m sorry, you have breast cancer,'” she recalled.
The diagnosis was particularly challenging as Chevallier had previously lost his wife to cancer.
Doctors offered Strachan the choice between removing one or both breasts, with the presenter ultimately opting for a double mastectomy after consulting with a friend.
The entire process from diagnosis to recovery took just six weeks, thanks to private healthcare.
“It’s only afterwards you process it all. That takes time,” she reflected, noting that she was later given the all-clear after taking tamoxifen for five years.
Strachan has temporarily left her South African home to live in an Airbnb on a farm near Henley while training four hours daily at a Slough ice rink.
The timing has worked perfectly for the presenter, as her son has just started university at Loughborough.
She’s been paired with Scottish professional skater Mark Hanretty, whom she describes as “the nicest man on ice.”
“Mark has said this will be his last series [after ten] so I want it to be a happy time, whether we get to week three or week nine,” she said.
Her friend and Springwatch co-presenter Chris Packham has shown concern about her participation. “Every time I phone Chris Packham he says, ‘Are you calling from A&E?'” she revealed.
Strachan maintains a rigorous training schedule, incorporating yoga, Pilates, and swimming to help with recovery.
Reflecting on her mastectomy experience, Strachan has questioned the severity of the treatment for early-stage breast cancer.
“Surely there’s a better way of dealing with a tiny bit of cancer in a woman’s breast than chopping them off? It seems brutal, doesn’t it?” she said.
“I hope it doesn’t have to be that way in 20 years’ time. It’s a hell of a thing to take a woman’s boobs off.”
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Her cancer journey was brought into sharp focus last year when her friend Lucy Bowden, a former Springwatch producer, received a similar diagnosis but sadly passed away.
“I feel sad she’s not here to see me do this; she would have been the friend who was 100 per cent invested in this journey,” Strachan shared emotionally.
Despite initial reservations about potential injuries, Strachan has embraced the challenge of Dancing on Ice with characteristic optimism.
“To any woman feeling like an empty-nester: take on a challenge. Doing this made me feel 20 years younger,” she enthused.