Former Hollyoaks star Ali Bastian shares heartfelt tribute to her husband and 'best friend' David O'Mahony for supporting her - four months after breast cancer diagnosis

Ali Bastian has shared a heartfelt tribute to her husband David O'Mahony praising him for supporting her through her cancer journey.

The former Hollyoaks star, 42, who is best known for playing Becca Dean in the Channel 4 soap from 2001 to 2007, was told by doctors in June that she had stage two breast cancer.

Ali, who is having chemotherapy before she undergoes a mastectomy and radiotherapy, shared the emotional post to her Instagram where she called David her 'best friend'.

Alongside a video of personal photos, Ali revealed that her diagnosis had been hard for her actor partner and said she was glad to have him by her side.

The soap star revealed that the couple are also finding it difficult as self-employed actors to manage their family as Ali goes battles breast cancer.

In the post she wrote: 'This post is for my husband.

'Cancer is a tough ride for the people going through it but bloody hell it's brutal on those closest to us.

'This guy has taken pole position on the childcare, is looking after me whilst I ride this rollercoaster and trying to do whatever work he can around it which tbh has been fairly impossible... as self-employed people there is not much scaffolding around us when things like this happen.

'He's pretty fecking exhausted. He is my best friend and my hero. I love you always David Here's a photo dump from our happiest times '.

Included in the montage of family snaps were pictures of the couple looking loved up and posing next to each other while on holiday or with their dog.

In one photo, the two laughed as they stood exchanging vows on their wedding day.

In another emotional photo, the couple laughed as the curled up in bed with their youngest daughter Isla, four, and in other pictures, they pulled silly faces and goofed around.

The family pictures were met with supportive comments from Ali's 75,000 followers, her praised her bravery and sent their love.

The actress's emotional post comes just days after she shaved her head in a heartbreaking video .

Set to The Greatest Showman ballad 'This is Me,' Ali explained how it was 'a small price to pay for the chance to be well again' before admitting she will be 'forever changed'.

With the help of her husband David who cut Ali's hair, the actress could be seen bravely smiling to the camera before shaving it off.

She then revealed her new look and in one candid shot, cuddled up to her youngest child.

'When you have breast cancer , every month is breast cancer awareness month' she wrote in the caption. 'Hair loss is just one aspect of all of this that we all wish wasn't a side effect but I know it's not forever and a small price to pay for the chance to be well again.'

She continued: 'The deeper I get into my treatment, the more I see this as an outward expression of how stripped back and raw it feels right now. Also sharing as this feels like part of my way... not 'back' to myself... as I will be forever changed... but forward towards my future ...to show up as I am right now. In the truth of today.

She added: 'For all of the warrior women going through this. You are not alone. #breastcancerawareness'

Celebrities including Lizzie Cundy , Suzanne, Shaw, Sarah Dent, Alexandra Burke and Strictly Come Dancing's Karen Hauer and Ola Jordan took to the comment section to send their love. They wrote:

'You are so amazing Ali. Sending you so much love and strength my lovely friend' and 'Always beautiful'.

'You are so beautiful So brave and a truly amazing human! Sending you so much love'.

'Sending you much love xxxxxx all my prayers are with you' and' 'Thinking of you Ali'.

Alongside famous face, fans, survivors and others who are going through their own brave battle wrote words of support:

'So beautiful, Ali, with & without' and 'Shaving my head was one of the hardest things for me. You look amazing!! Keep going you've got this!!'

'love to you Ali brave and beautiful xxx'

'In awe of you Ali So much strength in the s*******t of times!! Thinking of you and sending lots of love! Speak soon xx'

Ali - who now lives in Ireland with her husband and two young daughters told OK! : 'It was a total shock. I have mornings when I wake up and I've forgotten... and then suddenly I remember. I'm still trying to process it.'

Ali was breastfeeding daughter Isabella, 19 months - her youngest child with husband David - when she came across a lump.

The mother-of-two - who also raises Isla, four, with her husband - shared: 'I hadn't been breastfeeding Izzy at night but then David flew back to London for work and suddenly she was feeding like crazy. I was thinking, 'Maybe she's having a growth spurt or something.'

'And because of that, my boobs felt sore. The next morning, I woke up and thought, 'Ouch, this really hurts.' And that's when I felt a lump.'

Ali assumed she had a 'blocked duct' and was given a course of antibiotics, but it wasn't clearing up, so on her doctor's advice, she headed to a breast clinic.

She continued: 'It was a bank holiday in Ireland, so I went straight to the emergency doctor.

'It really seemed like I had mastitis, especially as I had been night-weaning Izzy before that. We thought I probably had a blocked duct. The doctor gave me antibiotics and said that if it didn't clear up in a few days I should go to the breast clinic.

'But it wasn't clearing up and the more I felt it, the more it felt like this wasn't just a blocked duct. I went to my GP and I said, 'Actually, can I go to the clinic now?' and she was very supportive of that.'

Ali received the shock news via telephone but was reassured after being told they have 'intent to cure' her.

She is set to undergo a single mastectomy and is still waiting to hear if doing double is a good idea as a 'preventative measure'.