Singer Anastacia has spoken out about her breast cancer and the injury which rocked this series of Strictly Come Dancing.

In an interview and photo shoot with Fault magazine, the singer, who underwent a double mastectomy in 2013 after being diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, revealed she was “nervous” about people seeing her scars.

“I really am, but I want to be able to go on the beach and not have the first photographs taken of my body to be ones that I didn’t give.

“I resented how large they were but I also understood why I needed to go through all the physical changes,” she told the magazine.

“My scars are part of my journey and a reminder of all the things I went through with my mastectomy. At this point, I feel great to show them in a way that’s artistic with a respected team in fashion because it’s transformed my body’s faults into art.”

Anastacia – who starred in this year’s Strictly alongside partner Gorka Marquez – addressed the controversy in the show which saw her miss the dance off after she suffered a tear to her scar tissue.

The BBC One programme came under fire after the Left Outside Alone singer landed in the bottom two but was unable to dance again meaning DJ Melvin Odoom was automatically sent home.

“By the end of the performance I was in a lot of pain, and knew I needed to see a specialist. Then I was told there was a dance off. I knew I was physically unable to perform, and I was terrified about what damage I had already done.”

“I began to cry and said ‘sorry I’ll get my things and go and thanks for the opportunity’ and I was ready to leave … I didn’t know they had contingencies for occurrences like that.”

She said starring on the dance competition – which she exited in October – had left her feeling like she was “becoming the woman that I was again”.