Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts has opened up about how her latest adventure on Dancing on Ice has “healed” her “very damaged” feet after cancer treatment.

The 44-year-old recently had chemotherapy after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.

In October 2021, Adele revealed she was undergoing treatment and later had surgery to remove a tumour and began using a stoma bag.

She announced she was declared free of cancer in June 2022 and said the prize is taking part on the ITV skating show as “there was no guarantees I would ever make the start line of the show."

She added: “I didn’t know if they’d be able to operate so I’ve just taken each day, day by day, ever since I’ve been diagnosed.

“I’ve not banked on anything. I’ve just hoped that things can get better and this is all part of that process, and I think one of the main reasons I want to do it [Dancing on Ice] is not only to help celebrate and represent ostomates (people who have stoma bags), but also just reclaim my body from cancer, and Dancing on Ice has helped with that.

How ITV Dancing on Ice helped Adele Roberts ‘reclaim my body from cancer’

“So my feet have been very damaged by the chemo, and because you’re on ice, and there’s not much friction, my feet have started to heal, which is amazing.

“And we’ve been speaking a lot today on these sessions as well about how much of a good workout it is for your body, and I just feel like I’m getting stronger every day, so even though I’m also falling over, it’s helping me have more confidence.

“I’ve been learning off the brilliant people that I get to be on the show with, you know, especially Lou (Sanders) and Claire (Sweeney), they’ve been helping me come up of my shell. I feel like I’m really learning what a woman should look like.”

Adele, who is partnered with Scottish ice dancer Mark Hanretty said she would “love” it if she could visibly show her bag while competing on the celebrity series.

“I want anybody who feels any awkwardness or shame about their stoma to know that it’s OK and you can celebrate your body,” she added.

Adele said Mark has to be “very mindful when he picks me up not to go on to the stoma” as she is “very vulnerable” there.

On Sunday (January 22), she will be skating for the first time in the 2024 series along with EastEnders star Ricky Norwood, Coronation Street’s Claire Sweeney, TV personality Miles Nazaire, comedian and writer Lou Sanders and former ski jumper Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards.

Adele added: “I think that people who have been the most like, sort of, I wouldn’t say negative about it, but questioning it, is my family, who are like, ‘you can’t dance or skate why you doing it?’”

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What time is Dancing on Ice 2024 on ITV?

Dancing on Ice returns on Sunday at 6.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.

Whoever comes last in the public vote and judges’ scores at the weekend will face former world champion boxer Ricky Hatton in the skate-off.