Andrea McLean has decided to have a hysterectomy.
Andrea McLean
The 'Loose Women' panellist is set to take a month off work from Thursday (22.09.16) in order to have the invasive operation, which removes all or part of the womb, after doctors recommended it for "personal reasons."
Speaking on the lunchtime show on Wednesday (21.09.16), she said: "Just to let you know, don't worry if you don't see me for the next month or so. I'm actually going to be at home convalescing, as I'm having a hysterectomy tomorrow. Lots of personal reasons for that, I did go to the doctors about it."
The 46-year-old journalist - who has son Finlay, 15, with her ex-husband Nick Green and daughter Amy, nine, with her estranged spouse Steve Toms - had a cancer scare in 2012 when she found a large lump in her right breast.
Andrea initially decided to ignore the change in her bosom but was persuaded to see a doctor by one of her friends.
Her GP arranged a mammogram and it was later revealed that the lump was just harmless "fibrous tissue."
The television presenter has always been very open about her health battles in the past and admitted earlier this year that she was "gripped" by postnatal depression for two years shortly after her daughter Amy's birth in 2006.
She said: "I had postnatal depression for two years before I finally went to the doctors. It's something I suffered from and hid. Now what's really interesting is we're all really talkative women and I've been working on this show for nine years now and I had it while I was on this show.
"A lot of people obviously see me and I've been in hair and makeup and I'm all professional and I do my job smiling, interacting, being interested and engaged but what I was doing was literally sobbing all the way home."
A hysterectomy is a major operation carried out to treat conditions that affect the female reproductive system.
After all or part of the womb has been removed, the woman will no longer be able to have children naturally.
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