By Tianna Corbin
Actor Lee MacDonald has opened up on his recent cancer scare, issuing an important warning to others. With a heatwave on the horizon, there have been warnings about the importance of sun protection, which Lee strongly urges people to use following his own experience. During Monday’s instalment of Good Morning Britain, the Grange Hill star spoke to presenters Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley about his skin cancer scare. Richard highlighted that Lee has had two scares, while the 57-year-old confirmed his first one happened a year ago. He said: “It was found to be non-cancerous. Then, O2 are now doing a campaign for skin cancer awareness. “On the back of that, I booked an appointment just for the doctors, I’ve got a little rash. It turns out it’s a keratosis, which is a pre-cancerous spot. I’m going to have it burnt out.” Curious, the ITV host asked: “So, that means it could turn cancerous?” Lee confirmed that it could possibly be the case. He added: “It was just on the back of going and getting checked out, I think we really need to concentrate on putting skincare on and looking at blemishes on your face and going to get them checked out.” Interjecting, Susanna commented on the importance of putting suncream on before asking Lee to share information on his dad, who was diagnosed with skin cancer. The actor said: “My dad was a driver, for years he would sit with his arm out of the window. My mum would go on about his arm, saying it’s getting burned all the time. “Later in life, he had skin cancer cut out from that arm.” Richard highlighted that it is very common for lorry drivers in America to put their arm out of the window during long drives. However, Lee divulged that his risk of skin cancer isn’t through being in the sun, but the use of sunbeds many years ago. He added: “Before I went to nightclubs years ago, I would lay on the sunbeds for an hour a week. I’d do a Tuesday and Thursday from about 17 until I was around 26 (years old). “That’s what the doctor said it is; it’s probably the sunbeds rather than the sun; I don’t go out in the sun much because of- being aware of the risks.” Before the interview ended, Lee informed the two ITV stars that he always wears sunscreen when he goes fishing with his son, even on a cloudy day. Good Morning Britain is available to watch on ITVX.