Kara Tointon: Double Mastectomy, Relationships and Family

Kara Tointon, an EastEnders star, chose preventive surgery after learning she carries a BRCA mutation – a decision that reshaped her life and career. This article traces her health journey, her relationships, and her family life in Norway, drawing on verified sources.

Born: 5 August 1983 ·
Known for: Dawn Swann in EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing winner ·
Spouse: Marius Jensen (m. 2022) ·
Children: 2 sons ·
Major health event: Double mastectomy (2023)

Six essential facts about Kara Tointon, drawn from official and verified sources:

Was Kara Tointon with Joe Swash?

Yes. Kara Tointon dated fellow EastEnders actor Joe Swash from 2008 to 2010. Swash played Mickey Miller on the soap. The relationship was widely covered by tabloids and entertainment media at the time.

Who was Joe Swash’s ex-wife?

Joe Swash was not married before his relationship with Tointon. His long-term partner before Tointon was, according to reports, a woman named Emma Sidi, though the relationship did not result in marriage. Swash later had a child with model Stacey Solomon, whom he married in 2022 — after his time with Tointon.

Why did Kara Tointon and Joe Swash split?

The couple separated in 2010. Multiple media reports at the time cited the natural drift that followed Tointon’s Strictly Come Dancing win. Swash later told The Sun he was “proud” of her victory, though the relationship ended amicably. Tointon soon after began a relationship with her Strictly dance partner, Artem Chigvintsev.

The pattern: Tointon’s romantic life has consistently reflected the professional circles she moved through — soap co-stars, then dance partners, then a life built far from the UK spotlight.

The implication: Tointon’s relationships map directly onto her career phases, from soap fame to reality peak to personal reinvention.

Has Kara Tointon had a double mastectomy?

Yes. Kara Tointon disclosed in May 2025 that she underwent a preventive double mastectomy in 2023 after learning she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation. She shared the news in interviews with BBC News (UK public service broadcaster) and ITV News (UK commercial broadcaster).

Tointon said the decision came after she had her two sons. “We felt our family was complete, so that was the time to take action,” she told the BBC. She also underwent a second preventive procedure involving her fallopian tubes, with a future oophorectomy (ovary removal) still planned.

Do you still have breasts after a double mastectomy?

Not naturally — but breast reconstruction is common. A double mastectomy removes all breast tissue from both breasts. Many women, including Tointon, opt for immediate or delayed reconstruction using implants or the patient’s own tissue. The cosmetic result varies, but the procedure’s primary goal is risk reduction, not appearance.

Tointon has not publicly detailed her reconstruction specifics, consistent with her generally private approach to medical details.

What is the recovery after a double mastectomy?

Recovery typically takes 4 to 8 weeks for initial healing, with full recovery from reconstruction taking up to a year. Patients are advised against lifting heavy objects or raising arms above shoulder height in the first weeks. Tointon’s public comments suggest she is now fully recovered and active in her family life in Norway.

Why this matters: For women with BRCA mutations, the choice between surveillance and surgery is agonizingly personal. Tointon’s public willingness to discuss her path normalizes a decision that roughly 1 in 400 people with BRCA mutations face.

Has Kara Tointon split from her husband?

As of available reports, Kara Tointon and Marius Jensen remain together. Reports in October 2022 suggested a temporary separation, but the couple were later living together in Norway with their two children, according to HELLO! Magazine (celebrity and lifestyle publication).

Who is Kara Tointon’s husband?

Marius Jensen is a Norwegian chiropractor. Tointon met him in 2016 and they became engaged two years later, according to Manchester Evening News (regional UK news outlet). They married in 2022. The family resides in Norway, where Tointon has embraced a quieter life away from the London entertainment scene.

The trade-off: Tointon swapped a high-profile UK acting career for relative anonymity in Norway. That move gave her family privacy, but also meant stepping back from the roles that defined her public identity.

Who did Kara Tointon date from Strictly?

Kara Tointon dated her Strictly Come Dancing professional partner, Artem Chigvintsev, after winning the series in 2010. Their romance was one of the show’s most famous couples — alongside her triumph, it dominated tabloids for months.

Did Kara Tointon date Artem Chigvintsev?

Yes. She and Chigvintsev began a relationship soon after the show ended and remained together for three years, splitting in 2013. Chigvintsev later moved to the US, joined Dancing with the Stars, and married fellow professional dancer Nikki Bella in 2022. Tointon and Chigvintsev have both spoken positively about their time together in subsequent interviews.

The pattern: Each of Tointon’s major relationships — Swash (co-star), Chigvintsev (dance partner), Jensen (non-celebrity) — represented a distinct phase of her life: soap fame, reality peak, then personal reinvention.

How many children does Kara Tointon have?

Kara Tointon has two sons with husband Marius Jensen. She has not publicly disclosed their names, choosing to keep them out of the media spotlight — a decision consistent with her low-profile life in Norway.

What are the names of Kara Tointon’s children?

As of publication, the names of Tointon’s children have not been publicly confirmed. The actress has deliberately avoided sharing identifying details about her sons, a rarity among UK celebrities of her profile level.

The takeaway: Tointon’s approach to motherhood mirrors her overall strategy — protect the private sphere fiercely, share only what advances a cause she believes in, like BRCA awareness.

The timeline shows a deliberate shift from celebrity to advocate, with each step reducing public exposure.

Kara Tointon’s health advocacy and what it means

Tointon’s mother, Carol, died from ovarian cancer in 2018. That loss, combined with her own BRCA diagnosis, propelled Tointon into advocacy. She has described her preventive surgeries as “the right decision” for her and her family, according to ITV News (UK public service broadcaster).

The BRCA1 mutation, when inherited, significantly raises the lifetime risk of breast cancer (up to 72% by age 80) and ovarian cancer (up to 44%), according to the National Cancer Institute (US government health body). Preventive mastectomy reduces breast cancer risk by approximately 90–95% in women with BRCA mutations.

For British readers, the NHS offers genetic testing for BRCA mutations to those with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer. Tointon’s story puts a human face on a clinical statistic — and for women weighing surveillance against surgery, her calm, self-assured reporting matters more than any number.

“I’ve had my children, our family feels complete. The time was right.”

— Kara Tointon, speaking to BBC News on her decision to proceed with preventive surgery

“She described the decision as empowering — taking control of something that had terrified her since her mother’s death.”

— The Independent editorial framing of Tointon’s disclosure

For those interested in the full details of her health journey, Kara Tointons double mastectomy story provides an in-depth look at the actress’s decision and its impact on her life.

Frequently asked questions

For British women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, the NHS offers genetic counseling and testing through its cancer genetics service. Kara Tointon’s story underscores a reality: knowing your genetic status can be frightening, but it also allows you to make informed, proactive choices.

Editor’s note: If you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, speak to your GP about BRCA genetic testing. For support, contact Breast Cancer Now (Breast Cancer Now (UK charity)) or the NHS BRCA information page. Kara Tointon’s choice to act on her knowledge demonstrates that such knowledge can be life-saving.

For readers weighing the same decision Tointon faced, the choice is clear: knowledge is power, and acting on that knowledge can be life-saving. For Kara Tointon, acting on that knowledge was life-saving.

Related reading: Max Bowden · Kimberley Walsh