Anastacia says Angelina Jolie was her "inspiration" when she was recovering from her double mastectomy operation.

Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, she said: "Angelina was a huge inspiration and it was very ironic that we both did it at the same time."

She added: "She came out before I was going to come out. She came out while I was in hospital recovering."

The 'I'm Outta Love' hitmaker - who has just released her 'Ultimate Collection' compilation - felt pressured into making the announcement for fear of it being leaked but then saw Angelina's decision to speak out as a "sign."

She explained: "I almost felt like that (Angelina's announcement) was God's way of sending me a little angel saying, 'You don't have to do that. She's got your back. She's taking care of what you wanted to do.' "

Anastacia - who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 but made a full recovery - announced she'd undergone a double mastectomy in October 2013, five months after Angelina, for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Angelina, 39, decided to undergo the preventative surgery after she discovered she was carrying the BRCA1 gene, which gave her an estimated 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and 50 per cent chance of ovarian cancer.

Earlier this year, the 'Maleficent' - who has six children with her husband Brad Pitt - announced she'd also had her ovaries removed.