Vanessa Feltz hailed ‘so brave’ after getting mammogram live on This Morning

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Up Next

Previous Page Next Page

This Morning viewers applauded Vanessa Feltz’s bravery after she underwent a mammogram live on the show to show that the test is nothing to fear.

During the morning show, presenters Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley revealed that Vanessa would be undergoing the intimate medical exam – an x-ray of the breasts that can be used to check for breast cancer – live on air.

The former Celebs Go Dating star then appeared on screen in a hospital gown while her breast was being scanned, cheerfully telling viewers that while she could feel a ‘squashing’ sensation, the procedure wasn’t at all painful.

It was a movingly vulnerable moment for Vanessa, who has been encouraging people to check themselves for cancer symptoms after opening up about her mother’s cancer diagnosis back in 2023.

Her mother, Valerie Ohrenstein, died from endometrial cancer aged 57, in 1995, and Vanessa believes it could have been prevented with earlier detection.

Viewers were impressed by Vanessa’s bravery, with X user @itsbr0gan
writing: ‘I think it’s amazing seeing daytime telly showing the reality of things women have to do #ThisMorning.’

Vanessa Feltz was deemed ‘brave’ by fans (Picture: This Morning/BBC/ITV) The hosts praised Vanessa for being vulnerable (Picture: ITV)

@_Normski posted: ‘Fair play to Vanessa!!! Love that woman ???????????? #ThisMorning’

@MadameMinge agreed: ‘Jokes aside, fair play to Vanessa for doing this, it’s a little uncomfortable (literally for a few seconds) but not painful, and can save your life! #ThisMorning’

@HelenMackie27 chimed in: ‘A big cheer for the great Vanessa for having a mammogram live on air, brilliant. She’s smiling but it’s a brave thing to do live #ThisMorning’

@DutchMooCow wrote: ‘Good on her!’

Vanessa has long spoken out about the importance of women being proactive about their health, particularly because of gender bias in the medical field.

Vanessa has long been outspoken about the importance of women advocating for their health (Picture: Joe Maher/Getty Images)

She previously said that her mother’s illness was diagnosed too late due to ‘medical misogyny.’

On her TalkTV show in 2023, Vanessa shared her personal upset. 

‘My mother was suddenly getting the most tremendous abdominal pain but only sporadically and only sometimes and very unpredictably but it was incredibly painful when it happened,’ she explained.

‘She went from doctor to doctor to doctor, specialist to specialist and they all pretty much did that pat her on the head thing saying, you know, “Are you neurotic? Are you looking for attention? Is it the menopause?…” and it turned out to be endometrial cancer and she died at the age of 57.’

What is a mammogram?

A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast tissue to look for cancers that are too small to see or feel.

During breast screenings, patients have 4 breast X-rays (mammograms), 2 for each breast.

Mammograms are done by a specialist called a mammographer, who are female.

The exam only take a few minutes and the whole appointment should take about 30 minutes.

She added that Valerie was ‘neither heard nor listened to,’ and that it eventually ‘spread so far that they couldn’t really do anything much about it’.

After initially getting reassurance from medical professionals that Valerie was okay, Vanessa and her family felt less inclined to continue to look into it.

‘When the doctor says it’s nothing to worry about, “Don’t worry your pretty little head about it” you just think, “Okay, good” don’t you?’