Love Island Australia star, 25, gives major update on her battle with head and neck cancer

Love Island Australia star Lexy Thornberry has shared an update on her health after revealing last year that she had been diagnosed with head and neck cancer.

The 25-year-old announced in an Instagram post this week that she is now cancer-free and on the road to recovery. 

'Today I BEAT CANCER,' the reality star began her emotional post, which was accompanied by a video of her recent milestones and hospital visits. 

'Eight months ago, I was diagnosed with stage 3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which spread from my nose to the lymph nodes in my neck,' she continued. 

'I endured six excruciating months of chemotherapy and radiation - celebrating my 25th birthday while receiving radiation treatment, unable to swallow or taste food.  

'Today, I share this post in celebration of my journey. I’m excited to announce that I am now a cancer survivor! 

'The rehabilitation has been challenging, but each day gets a little easier, and I’m excited to be on the path to feeling like myself again.'

Lexy said she was sharing the videos 'as a reminder of how I took my blessings for granted until I faced the reality of losing them. Life truly is precious.'

The television star first shared the shock news of her diagnosis in November, revealing at the time that she was about to start chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

'I am 24 years old and I have been diagnosed with cancer,' she wrote alongside a gallery of confronting images.  

'No, sadly I'm not joking. They put me in a robe for my X-ray,' she continued. 

'I thought it was so dramatic. A couple of days later I was diagnosed with head and neck cancer...'

Lexy added the diagnosis came as a huge shock to her given her healthy lifestyle, reassuring fans she would be working hard to beat it.

'I'm a Pilates instructor and I teach people how to live healthy lives. There's nothing I did wrong, nothing that could have prevented it. It's just the luck of the draw. But it is something I will FIGHT,' she wrote. 

Head and neck cancer is a particularly challenging disease affecting the mouth, throat and sinuses, and is aggressive and life-threatening if not caught and treated early.

However, with the right treatment plan it can be managed – and even beaten. 

The bartender appeared on season three of Love Island Australia in 2021, where she began a relationship with Chris Graudins, however, the two split in 2022. 

Lexy and her long-time boyfriend, Olympian David Nyika, got engaged last year, after the Kiwi boxer got down on one knee during a holiday to Mexico. 

David popped the question with a Tiffany ring at sunset in Isla Mujeres. 

'It's easy with Lexy. I spent almost eight years with the wrong people, I wanted to nail this one,' he told Woman's Day.