A contestant on the new series of BBC's The Traitors has revealed how a routine eye test at age 12 led to the discovery of a rare cancer that would change her life forever.
Olivia Dean, now 26, visited Specsavers with her mother and sister to get sunglasses when an optician spotted a concerning mass in her right eye.
The beautician and model from Horsham was diagnosed with retinoblastoma after being referred to St Bart's hospital in London.
"My vision was funny, I said, so maybe I needed glasses too," she recalled. "Ironically, there was a problem with my eyes, though I'd never clocked that things weren't totally normal."
To this day, Dean remains the oldest person ever diagnosed with retinoblastoma in Britain, a cancer typically found in children under four.
"Specsavers saved my life, I know now. Had I not gone for that checkup I would have died," she said.
Dean was immediately transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital to begin chemotherapy treatment.
"The worst thing was losing my hair," she said. "The kids at school were horrible, calling me a boy and making fun of my bald patches."
Despite initial treatments, the cancer continued to grow, leading to the difficult decision to remove her eye when she was 14.
"I was going to be disfigured, I thought, with a horrible, scary crater in my face," she recalled of her fears before the surgery.
The operation took place on December 30, with Dean requiring additional chemotherapy afterwards to ensure the cancer went into full remission.
"At the age of 14 all my friends were experiencing being a teenager and growing into adulthood, and I was starting chemotherapy," she said.
Today, Dean has a prosthetic eye from Moorfields Eye Hospital, though she says she feels more beautiful without it.
Three years ago, while working as a cleaner, she shared her story on social media and caught the attention of Katie Piper, leading to her signing with a modelling agency and appearing in Vogue magazine.
Now a mother to a 15-month-old son, Olivia has plans for the £120,000 prize money if she wins The Traitors.
"I definitely want to donate some money to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust. They've done so much for me, they helped me when I lost my hair, they helped me get a wig," she said.
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She also hopes to take her family on holiday and invest the remainder wisely for her son's future.
"I wouldn't want to just blow it all, I'm thinking of my future ahead with my baby and my boyfriend," she added.
Entering the iconic Scottish castle for the new series, Dean believes her life experiences will give her an edge in the game.
"I think that comes with everything now, I never give up, I always push and I want to succeed," she said.
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Olivia Dean, now 26, visited Specsavers with her mother and sister to get sunglasses when an optician spotted a concerning mass in her right eye.
The beautician and model from Horsham was diagnosed with retinoblastoma after being referred to St Bart's hospital in London.
"My vision was funny, I said, so maybe I needed glasses too," she recalled. "Ironically, there was a problem with my eyes, though I'd never clocked that things weren't totally normal."
To this day, Dean remains the oldest person ever diagnosed with retinoblastoma in Britain, a cancer typically found in children under four.
"Specsavers saved my life, I know now. Had I not gone for that checkup I would have died," she said.
Dean was immediately transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital to begin chemotherapy treatment.
"The worst thing was losing my hair," she said. "The kids at school were horrible, calling me a boy and making fun of my bald patches."
Despite initial treatments, the cancer continued to grow, leading to the difficult decision to remove her eye when she was 14.
"I was going to be disfigured, I thought, with a horrible, scary crater in my face," she recalled of her fears before the surgery.
The operation took place on December 30, with Dean requiring additional chemotherapy afterwards to ensure the cancer went into full remission.
"At the age of 14 all my friends were experiencing being a teenager and growing into adulthood, and I was starting chemotherapy," she said.
Today, Dean has a prosthetic eye from Moorfields Eye Hospital, though she says she feels more beautiful without it.
Three years ago, while working as a cleaner, she shared her story on social media and caught the attention of Katie Piper, leading to her signing with a modelling agency and appearing in Vogue magazine.
Now a mother to a 15-month-old son, Olivia has plans for the £120,000 prize money if she wins The Traitors.
"I definitely want to donate some money to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust. They've done so much for me, they helped me when I lost my hair, they helped me get a wig," she said.
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She also hopes to take her family on holiday and invest the remainder wisely for her son's future.
"I wouldn't want to just blow it all, I'm thinking of my future ahead with my baby and my boyfriend," she added.
Entering the iconic Scottish castle for the new series, Dean believes her life experiences will give her an edge in the game.
"I think that comes with everything now, I never give up, I always push and I want to succeed," she said.
Find Out More...