A cancer patient joined fellow survivors on the catwalk strutting her stuff raising £1,000 for the charity helping her through years of gruelling treatment for ovarian cancer.

Gilly Nunn, from Broadstairs, is one of the faces of an awareness campaign being run by Ovacome.

She joined 12 other models for a fashion show held at a glitzy fundraiser at the May Fair Hotel in London last month in front of 250 friends, family and supporters.

Gilly says the Touch of Teal event was a fantastic experience and the day started by practising their catwalk technique before a champagne afternoon tea.

All the models experienced ovarian cancer at some stage of their lives.

But the event was tinged with sadness as one lady supposed to be modelling died from the disease aged just 50 and another woman is undergoing treatment again.

Speaking to Thanet Extra, Gilly said: "It was all themed around the colour teal, which is the ovarian cancer 'colour' and hence the event itself being called A Touch of Teal.

"After lunch we had another practice run and then were treated to a manicure, make up and hairdressing. We all felt amazing and ready for action."

The models held two practice runs during the day but it was not all plain sailing as the start got closer with Brexit protests almost scuppering the entire show.

"There was a hiccup backstage as our first catwalk outfits had not arrived," Gilly added.

'We were survivors, warriors still here strutting our stuff for ourselves, for the women who'd lost their fight and for those who may get the disease in future.' Gilly Nunn

"Apricot had to head all the way back to their Westfield shop in Hammersmith to grab dresses off the shop floor, and all this was made worse because The People's March had closed roads and tube stations.

"They literally arrived 20 minutes before we were due on. The one I'd chosen was not available so I had to wear another they'd selected, which fortunately I liked and it fitted.

"We all clamoured into the dresses and stood in the wings trying to keep nerves in check before it was time for our catwalk debut."

She says the reception walking out on to the catwalk was "overwhelming" and she had 19 guests supporting her in the audience.

"We were survivors, warriors still here strutting our stuff for ourselves, for the women who'd lost their fight and for those who may get the disease in future," Gilly said.

"There were many tears in the room throughout the day as there were for the models.

"Especially as there had been 15 of us when we first met last September but one lady could not take part due to a recurrence requiring surgery and chemo and another had died aged 50."

The second part of the show was a wedding theme and red carpet section dressed by John Lewis and the finale saw all the models return to the catwalk in a specially designed dress for Ovacome, which is available at Apricot.

The business and life coach is one of the many women who often live with the symptoms of ovarian cancer for months before realising they have the disease.

Her diagnosis came following a bout of sudden abdominal pain which put her in accident and emergency after suffering with constipation and going to the toilet more often which she put down to her busy lifestyle and eating less healthy.

She has had two operations and chemotherapy since being rushed into hospital in 2015 when she was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer.

Ovacome's campaign asks women to think about how to BEAT cancer with a four stage acronym to spot the signs of ovarian cancer: B is for bloating, E for eating difficulties and feeling fuller quicker, A is for abdominal, or pelvic, pain most days and T is for toilet changes from either the bladder or bowel.

Gilly added: "Only 37% of those diagnosed survive +5 years. It tends to recur, get treated and recur again.

"After a recurrence last March I had radical surgery and chemotherapy.

"I’m now on a new drug which aims to extend the length of time before recurrence or maintain me as cancer free ongoing.

"From our group of models there was a grandmother aged 71 who’d survived 21 years and a few others 6+ years, so it’s not all doom and gloom."

Contact Ovacome’s free support line on 0800 008 7054 or visit www.ovacome.org.uk if you are concerned about you or someone you know.

To sponsor Gilly head to www.ovacome.org.uk/fundraisers/help-gill-nunn-to-make-a-real-difference