Coronation Street's Sue Nicholls was saved by an eagle-eyed viewer who spotted a cancerous mole whilst they were watching the soap.
Sue, who plays Audrey, was contacted by the concerned fan who urged her to get the mole checked out.
Anna Bianconi-Moore, who works as a specialist skin care nurse, noticed the irregular shaped mark in a scene where Sue wore a night dress.
“I noticed it was irregular in shape and had at least three different colours," she told the Daily Mail.
“These are two of the red-flag signals that distinguish the most deadly form of skin cancer – malignant melanoma. I was obviously incredibly worried for Sue, and felt I needed to do something.
“I wrote that I had observed a sinister-looking lesion and suggested that Sue should see a specialist, sooner rather than later, as it may require urgent attention.”
After Sue took action, and discovered that the mole had turned into melanoma, ITV shared a statement.
It read: “Whilst millions watched the same scene in their living rooms at home, specialist skin care nurse Anna was able to diagnose the blemish as malignant melanoma after pausing the TV and taking a closer look.
“The 55 year old who's from Suffolk then got in touch with the show to warn Sue to get the mole checked.
“In the end, almost a year passed before Sue had the mole removed and the diagnosis of malignant melanoma was confirmed. The actress then appealed for the viewer to get back in touch."
The two women met on the set of Corrie, so Sue could personally thank Anna for looking out for her.
Anna used the Ugly Duckling method when it came to detecting the mole.
The method is about looking for a mole that stands out and looks different to the others on a person's body.
There is also the ABCDE method, which focuses on the following features: A
The Skin Cancer Foundation described Melanoma as a "dangerous" and "serious" form of skin cancer.
It starts as cells known as melanocytes but have the ability to spread to other organs if not caught quickly.
Do you enjoy reading about celebrities? Sign up for all the best celeb news from the Mirror here .
Melanomas can come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.
According to the British Skin Foundation, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK.
At least 100,000 new cases are diagnosed every year and it kills 2,500 people each year.
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct 0207 29 33033.
