A television first which saw the body of a Kent woman dissected on Channel 4 has been hailed as "groundbreaking and poignant" by critics.

Toni Crews, a mother-of-two from Deal, was just 30 when she lost a four-year battle with a rare form of cancer which started in her tear duct.

Ahead of her death, after her adenocarcinoma returned for a third time in August 2020, Ms Crews decided she would offer her body for dissection by medics and the procedure was last night screened in documentary My Dead Body.

The programme was soon trending on Twitter, where viewers shared their amazement at the insight and their admiration for Ms Crews' bravery.

Gina Bond, a specialist anatomy technician, tweeted: "Brought tears to my eyes.

"What a beautiful documentary that truly showcased the impact a donor can have on education. We will never be able to thank them enough."

Another viewer said: "Maybe the most amazing programme I've ever watched.

"To the incredible young woman whose strength, dignity and love for life even after her death, thank you."

A third said: "Watching My Dead Body, a show documenting a dissection on live television for the first time.

"Thank you to everyone who donates their body to science and thank you to Toni Crews for doing something truly unique by allowing this to be shown to the wider audience."

Another Tweeted: "My dead body is making me want to cry. What an amazing young woman Toni Crews was. Her family are also amazing."

The critics were also full of praise for the programme.

Writing in The Guardian, Lucy Mangan said: "In the end, My Dead Body is a documentary about all kinds of courage.

"You don’t have to be in the lecture hall with Smith and her students to feel you have been enlarged and educated by Toni’s presence."

The Evening Standard called the documentary "groundbreaking and poignant".

Professor Claire Smith, the head of anatomy at Brighton and Sussex Medical School who led the dissection, said the university had been "so privileged" to do the work thanks to Toni's "incredible donation".

"As part of this documentary, we were able to invite more than 1,000 students, including nurses, paramedics and neuroscientists, who wouldn’t normally get to learn about this one in a million cancer," she said.

"Toni's gift of body donation doesn’t end with this documentary either; her body will be used to educate our medical students and doctors for years to come."

The 30-year-old died in August 2020 with her parents by her side.

She was first diagnosed with rare adenocarcinoma - cancer of the tear duct - in 2016 prompting the removal of her right eye, and then a tumour behind her eye in 2018.

In 2020 she received the devastating news it had returned to her lungs and skin tissue and her best hope would be to access a clinical trial at London's Royal Marsden Hospital.

But tragically, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these had all stopped. Instead, doctors prescribed a strong cocktail of chemotherapy called ECX to buy her more time.

Anna Miralis, Channel 4 commissioning editor, said: "This landmark documentary will bring together the latest in anatomical science and cutting-edge tech to tell one of the most intimate stories of all: how a young mum bravely fought for her life against a rare form of cancer.

"The presence of her voice in the form of diary entries, letters and social media posts ensures the film is filled with all the warmth and generosity that characterised Toni's inspiring life."