Anastacia views her health issues as a “gift”

She told OK! magazine: “I found very quickly that if you dwell on any illness, it’ll just fester inside you in a really negative way.

“I can’t live in that place.

“Through all my health scares I’ve tried to use each illness I’ve been gifted with – whether it was two cancers, Crohn’s, or a heart condition – and ask myself what I could learn from these blessings.”

The 52-year-old singer opted to undergo a double mastectomy and explained she had her breasts removed because the alternative lengthy medical treatments seemed like a “lot of effort” with no guarantees.

She said: “I could have had chemo and pills, but I tallied that all up and it just seemed like a lot of effort to try to keep my breasts and then maybe get cancer again.

“I’m not a gambler and you’ve got to find your own way through. This was mine.”

Although the ‘I’m Outta Love’ singer always wanted children, she has found peace with the fact she has no kids of her own because empowering women with her music has been just as important to her.

She added: “I always felt like I’d have loads of kids and I don’t feel I missed out on that.

“That was the universe’s bigger plan for me and I’m so grateful my music could empower women and girls.”