A dream came true for veterinary nurse Dionne Martin when she got to sing with Boyzone star Ronan Keating.
The moment the pair appeared on stage together was filmed for the new BBC show Tonight's the Night.
Mrs Martin, who has recently recovered from a rare form of cancer, was nominated for the show by her husband Nathan.
She was diagnosed with Derma Fibrosis when she was five month pregnant with daughter Libby, leaving her with a tumour attached to her skull.
Mrs Martin, 27, from Shoreham, said: “They could not do a lot with it because I was pregnant so it got bigger and more painful.
“I finally went in for an operation to get a lump removed after Libby was born and went on to have ten operations over three years.
“Part of my scalp was removed during my third operation and I later had a skin graft and other reconstructive surgery.
“I lost all my hair and was in and out of hospital with infections. It was a very stressful time.”
Mrs Martin, who works at the Southdown Veterinary Centre in Hove, was eventually given the all clear last year and her hair has now grown back.
It was at this point that Mr Martin, 29, an engineer, read about the new BBC show and put Mrs Martin forward for it.
Mrs Martin had no idea what her husband had done and it was only when show host John Barrowman made an unexpected appearance at her work that everything became clear.
She said: “It was such a shock. He phoned first and started asking questions about his dog in a Scottish accent.
“The next thing, he burst into the room with the camera crew. How I didn't collapse with shock I'll never know.”
Mrs Martin was whisked up to London the next day and told she would be singing the Cyndi Lauper hit Time After Time with John in front of a studio audience..
It was only when she got to her last rehearsal and was singing on stage that Ronan Keating turned up.
She said: “I screamed with shock. He was so great and really sweet. He was such a nice guy.”
Mr and Mrs Martin, along with Libby, four, will have a house full of friends and family when the show is broadcast on BBC1 on May 4.
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