Kara Tointon has revealed that she’s undergone a double mastectomy after learning that she carries the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly BRCA1 gene.

The EastEnders actress, 41, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share an emotional post detailing her decision after losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2018.

She announced that she has undergone a double mastectomy and had her fallopian tubes removed as a preventative measure.

Tointon’s operation comes just six years after her mother Carol pᴀssed away following her own battle with ovarian cancer.  

As an ambᴀssador for the Eve appeal, a charity that raises awareness of gynaecological cancers, Kara opened up to her followers about the journey that led to her discovery that she carries the BRCA1 gene.

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Kara Tointon has revealed that she’s undergone a double mastectomy after learning that she carries the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly BRCA1 gene 

Speaking ahead of the charity’s Get Lippy campaign to highlight the causes and symptoms of various gynae cancers, Kara revealed that after she losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2018, she underwent genetic testing which revealed that she is predisposed to the disease. 

She said: ‘You may have heard of the BRCA genes type 1 and 2 and as a carrier it means that I am at a greater risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. 

‘Back in 2018 when my mum was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, I was asked to take a genetics test. 

‘There is a history of both cancers in my family but for various reasons including generational trauma of which I’ll talk more about another time, we hadn’t looked into it until that point. 

‘But it was put to us, we took the test and it was confirmed that my mum and I both carried the gene.’

As a mother-of-two, Kara told how her family were her main consideration in her decision making.

She said: ‘I was pregnant with my first child at the time, knew I wanted more children if possible so over the next couple of years I was invited to various meetings by the NHS to really become informed and to understand all my options. 

‘Last year having had my second son in 2021 and deciding that our family was complete, I underwent two preventative surgeries. 

She announced that she has undergone a double mastectomy and had her fallopian tubes removed as a preventative measure (pictured at the Olivier Awards in April)

‘The first a double mastectomy and the second a two part protector study, a trial. They believe that ovarian cancer begins in the fallopian tubes so by removing them first checking out you can remove the ovaries later.’

The former Strictly winner revealed that after having several medical investigations, she decided that surgery was the best option.

‘We are finding out more and more about personal genetics and most people believe in surveillance, but after doing this for a couple of years, having MRIs, waiting for biopsy, we decided that this was the right decision for me and my family,’ she said. 

‘I wasn’t an easy decision, but one I am very glad that I made and I can now with hindsight talk about it properly.’

Kara is not the only woman in the public eye to talk openly about her procedure. 

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie also had a double mastectomy as well as having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, after she was found to have a 50 per cent risk of developing ovarian cancer.’

Kara has two sons Frey, 6 and Helly 4, with her Norwegian partner Marius Jenson, a chiropractor. The family divide their time between Britain and Norway where Kara’s sister Hannah and her father still live.

Signing off from social media, Kara paid tribute to the doctors and the Eve appeal charity and their support.

She said: ‘Id like to thank my surgeons Dr Adam Rosenthal and Dr Gerard Cuie, I can’t thank them enough. 

‘I wanted to talk about it because hearing other people’s experience, helped so much and knowledge is power, communication is key, getting to know our bodies, our cycles is only a good thing, but I’ll be talking about this a lot more. 

‘Happy Lippy month and take care.’