Lorraine Kelly winces as Denise Van Outen discusses major surgery after 'horrific' BBC Strictly Come Dancing injury

Denise Van Outen has opened up about the major surgery she had after a 'horrific' injury during her time on Strictly Come Dancing. The actress and presenter was seen chatting to Lorraine Kelly on her self-titled ITV show on Thursday on the day she released her new autobiography, A Bit of Me: From Basildon to Broadway, and back.

It comes as Denise's personal life has already been hitting the press following her surprise split from fiance Eddie Boxshall late last year. During her chat with Lorraine, the TV host, 62, brought up Denise's time on Strictly, where she was runner-up in the tenth series of the BBC One dancing show, after she writes in the book about an injury which saw surgeons having to take out her voice box.

"I had no idea until I read the book, when you did Strictly Come Dancing... I knew you had a fall but it was horrific," Lorraine said. "The operation they had to do on your back, they had to go through your throat into your spine".

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Former Big Breakfast host Denise, 47, explained how she kept the 'major' surgery private at the time in an attempt to avoid public sympathy. "It is something else I kept very private just because I love the show Strictly as well and James Jordan was my partner and I didn't want him to get into trouble as well. But I did have a fall and was dropped on my head and my neck went," she said.

"I slipped three discs into my spinal cord and I actually did the final of Strictly Come Dancing with steroid injections," Denise added. "I don't even know how I got through it but I just got on with it," she said as Lorraine described her as a 'trouper'.

Denise made