Cancer reminded me you have to live life to fullest. I'm fearless now... except for Saturday

Alex has needed to embrace that courage on the dance floor after what she describes as a rocky couple of weeks in the BBC ballroom.

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Starring with Hugo Spear in Boudica, in 2003 She won army of US fans in ER in late '90s With David Tennant in Doctor Who, in 2008

Her Paso Doble left her at the bottom of the leaderboard as she struggled with the routine. But last weekend she bounced back with her waltz, which put her in third place.

"It was really important to me, this dance," she says.

"I psychologically needed to put the week before aside, and I needed to be able to get on that dance floor and enjoy a dance and come through it. Just get all the cobwebs of doubt out of my system.

"We said to each other, 'It's just you and me on the floor, this is for us'. It was wonderful to have that experience and to get over the doubts.

It couldn't have come at a better time as Alex and Johannes join the rest of the gang in Blackpool tonight.

They will be performing their couple's choice routine to a mashup of songs by Shirley Bassey and Geri Halliwell.