'It was such a weird, surreal experience becoming my own story. I remember the moment very clearly. I almost fainted. I was in such shock'

WELSH mother who featured on Disney's Welcome to Wrexham as a translator for Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has shared her secret battle with cancer.

- Lucy Thornton and Christopher Bucktin report

Maxine Hughes, 45, who translated for Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney on Disney's Welcome to Wrexham, has opened up about her cancer battle.

Journalist Maxine Hughes, 45, who amused fans by teasing the A-listers over their struggles with the Welsh language, has recently completed her 20th intense round of chemotherapy.

The mum, who is married to Sally Ayhan, 42, and has two young boys, Iori, 12, and Manu, 7, revealed that she kept her diagnosis of triple negative cancer within her close circle of family and friends.

However, her small group of confidants, including Rob's family, particularly his stepmother, Jill, have made the last traumatic six months “a million times” easier, said Maxine.

TV and radio journalist Maxine confessed that, upon receiving the devastating diagnosis, she feared she might not live to see her children grow up. She is now facing a double mastectomy, which she has agreed to being filmed for a documentary, providing an unfiltered account of her cancer journey.

The documentary will use Maxine's story as a lens to examine the challenges faced by the NHS in England and the waiting times in Wales, amid rising levels of cancer.

Maxine, who is originally from Conwy but currently living and working in Washington DC, spoke during her final chemo session in Virginia on Thursday.

“It’s called red devil,” she explained about the potent chemo coursing through her veins.

Speaking candidly, she revealed: “Until recently, the word ‘cancer’ was almost like a death sentence. You hear it and you go, ‘oh my God, am I gonna die?’ You suddenly go to the worst place and you start thinking ‘can I stay alive for five years? Can I get my kids to school?’