Former Bill star battling cancer (From Gazette Series)

Former Bill star battling cancer

1:26pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Entertainment News © Press Association 2011

Former Bill star Ben Richards has revealed he is battling cancer.

The actor - who played PC Nate Roberts on the show - announced the news on Twitter but told fans he is going to "kick this into touch".

He tweeted: "Yep, time To battle the big C. Prognosis is good gang and should kick this into touch in about 6 months, well this should be a different journey xx"

Days later the 39-year-old later posted another message saying: "So, CT scan today and I'm now the proud owner of 3 random tattoo dots either side of my butt and just below my coccyx, apparently it's to Line up the radiotherapy. Gonna start a dot tattoo craze, who's in?"

The actor, who is also known for playing Bruno Milligan in Footballers' Wives, and more recently swapped screen for stage to appear in hit musical Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, tweeted that his wife Helen was his "rock".