Julia Bradbury has spoken of the moment she broke the news to her three young children that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The TV star spoke to Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning on Thursday, ahead of the airing of her ITV documentary, Julia Bradbury: Breast cancer & Me.
Julia talked of her battle with cancer, her treatment as well as her mastectomy - and her recovery since.
But Julia also opened up about the moment she broke the news of her diagnosis to her children, and how she allowed them to get their heads around the news before going public.
Speaking to the hosts, Julia said telling her kids the news was "the hardest thing", after previously speaking of their reactions.
She said on This Morning: "Telling your children you have cancer is the hardest thing you'll ever have to do in your life.
"You also don't quite now how much to tell them to be realistic, and how much do you need to protect them as well. It is a very tricky balance. I don't think any parent really knows exactly what to do."
Julia went on of her children's reactions to her diagnosis: "One of my children said can I still hug you, and another of my children said is it contagious. I never thought about either of those two things, so you just don't know what is going through their mind.
"So you do your best but it is just a very, very difficult thing to navigate."
Julia then shared a clip from the documentary of the moment she reunited with her children, after her mastectomy surgery.
As the clip played, Julia was heard discussing saying goodbye to her breast before the operation, as well as talking things through with her kids.
Wiping away tears as the clip played, Julia told Holly and Phil: "My kids have been amazing and they've made friends with my new boob, and they say mummy it doesn't feel the same. I know it doesn't feel the same but I'm here, and that's what it has done."
Holly also got emotional about the clip, as she revealed the reunion with her children got to her.
Julia told her: "No, I can't look at that without it getting me," Julia admitted as Holly replied: "Yeah I'm not surprised!"
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITV Hub.
