Hello! Magazine UK – 12 August 2019

A

ppearingonStrictlyComeDancinglastyearwasa

“dreamcometrue”forStepsstarFayeTozer,whose

stunningroutinessawherandherdancepartnerGiovanni

Pernicereachthefinal.Butbehindthescenes,Fayewas

facinganemotionalchallenge,whichsheis talkingabout

hereforthefirsttime.

JoinedbyhermotherDorothyforhello!’s exclusive

photoshoot,thepairrevealthat,whileFaye’strainingfor

thehitBBCshowwasin fullswing,Dorothywasundergoing

treatmentforstage3 breastcancer.

“WhileI wasputtingonsequins,Mumwasputtingona

coldcap,”says43-year-oldFaye.“Thatkepteverythingin

perspective.If I washavinga badday,I knewthatmumwas

goingthroughsomuchmore.”

Thefamilychosetokeepthenewsquietat thetime.

“ItwasMum’sjourney,notmine,”explainsFayeasshe

remembershowDorothy,74,wasinandoutofhospital.

“I didn’twantpeopletofeelsorryformeoraskhowI was

becauseit wasn’taboutme.I wantedtogetonwiththejob,

andMumwantedthatas well.Shewassoincrediblypositive.”

It wasDorothywhousedtomakeFaye’scostumesfor

showswhenshewasa littlegirl– Fayeappearedinherfirst

pantomimeagedjustsix,withDavyJonesofThe Monkees

• soshelovedknowingwhatwasplannedforherdaughter
  toweareachweekonStrictly.
  “Iwouldsendherphotosofthecostumes,”saysFaye.
  “AndeveryweekI sentMuma videoofmeandGiovanni
  rehearsing,soshecouldwatchtheprogresswe’dmadeon

theSaturdaynight.I’da

arewedoing?’Shewasst

wasgoingthroughsomu

andit wasn’tuntilafterw

SHOCKTOTHESYSTE

ThediagnosisinAprilla

shewouldneedtounde

bymonthsofchemothe

cameasanevengreate

earlierintheyearhadfo

“I’dhada mammogra

throughtheworryofwo

okay,”saysDorothy.“The

andI feltrelieved.”

Aftershefounda lump

shewasreferredtoa lo

centreforanultrasound

“Anhourlatera docto

sosorrytotellyoubutwe

inyourbreast.’It wasan

Dorothywonderedwh

hadbeencorrect,buttw

therewasnosignofthe

“It’scalledan‘occult’ca

doctorsaidhe’donlyse

rare.I cannotfaultthe

treatmentI havereceived

STEPS AND STRICTLY COME DANCING’ STAR

AND HER MOTHER DOROTHY REVEA THE HE TH

DRAMA BEH ND THE SEQUINS AND THE SM S

FAYE TOZER

(RIGHT) FAYE’S DRESS: PYRUS AT IRIS. DOROTHY’S TOP & TROUSERS: RIVER ISLAND. (FAR RIGHT) DRESS: BEULAH

alwaysphoneandsay:‘Mum,how

tillsosupportiveeventhoughshe

uch. I thinkwealljustkept going,

ards that itreally sunkin.”

EM

ast year,whenDorothy wastold

ergoa mastectomyfollowed

erapy andradiotherapy,

r shockasa cancertest

undnothingamiss.

aminJanuary,sohadgone

nderingwhetherit wouldbe

en theygavemetheall-clear

pinherbreastinApril,

ocalbreastscreening

scananda biopsy.

or wastellingme:‘I’m

e’vefoundsixtumours

incredible shock.”

etherthe Januaryresult

wo externalexaminersconfirmed

cancerinthe firstmammogram.

ancer,whereit’sundetected.My

eenonecaselike thisbefore,it’s

ehospitalorthe NHS.The

dhasbeen amazing.”

(^74) V