DON'T TELL ME I CAN'T… Learn burlesque in my 50s

Angela McConnachie has embraced her changed body after a cancer diagnosis

- KARA O'NEILL, ANN CUSACK

Taking a deep breath, I look into the audience, my hands shaking a little. The stage lights are so bright, I can’t see the crowd’s faces, but I know they can see me.

Fiddling with the catch on my sparkly bra, I unhook it and, as gracefully as possible, whip it off. There’s nothing covering my dignity except for two nipple pasties but, rather than feeling self-conscious and embarrassed, I’m surprised to feel a thrill of adrenaline rush through my body.

Getting up on a stage and performing as a burlesque dancer was never part of my plan. Back in 2010, at 42, I was a childminder and shy single mother of three kids, aged 18, 13 and 10. Back then, I wouldn’t even dare sunbathe topless.

But, that year, I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer and underwent a single mastectomy on my right breast. Before, I’d had size 32G breasts, so, after the operation, I felt extremely lopsided and my self-esteem plummeted. At first, I wore a prosthetic, but if I leant forward it’d pull away from my chest, so low-cut tops and bikinis were out of the question.