TELEVISION presenter Julia Bradbury has shared a powerful image ahead of her mastectomy to raise awareness of breast cancer.
The Dublin-born star, 51, revealed last month that she had diagnosed with the disease that claims the lives of around 685,000 women a year globally.
Taking to social media, Bradbury revealed she had been urged to "say goodbye to my breast".
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"I'm going for my last walk in this body. I'm going for my last walk with these boobs," she wrote on Instagram, alongside a picture of her ahead of her operation.
"One of the best bits of advice I've received in the weeks of my breast cancer diagnosis (thank you) .. is to say goodbye to my breast and to thank my body for all the sustenance, joy & life it has given me.
"Goodbye left boob.. I've breastfed my children with you, I've jumped into the sea with you, I've walked thousands of miles with you. And you've given me (and some others) pleasure along the way.
"Now it's time to make way for something new.
"Thank you ALL for your love & support. See you on the other side.
"Check yourselves! And take care of your bodies."
Bradbury, who hosted the BBC's popular show Countryfile from 2004 to 2014, added the hashtag #breastcancerawareness.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual global event to raise awareness of the disease and raise money to fund research.
According to the World Health Organization, 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020.
Bradbury, who has three children with husband Gerard Cunningham, was born in Dublin while her English father and Greek mother were visiting the country.
She has previously tweeted about how she has a soft spot for the country of her birth and its beautiful countryside.
