Tessa James has reflected on being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 23, and how her NRL star husband Nate Myles was by her side throughout it all.

The Aussie actress, 34, who is known for her work on Neighbours and Home and Away, appeared on the Inherited podcast, speaking about that time and the early stages of their relationship.

The pair had a whirlwind romance and wed when James was 20 and Myles was working hard at his footy career, meaning they were in the early years of marriage when she got her diagnosis.

 

“We went through it all together, at the same time pretty much. There was a lot of testing and waiting,” she said.

“Nate is an extremely positive person, the way he speaks, the way he thinks and the way he lives his life … it was not something that we would talk about that would happen.

“When we found out, I was with my mum at the time and I got a phone call and they were on the end-of-season footy trip in Cairns.

“He went and he had to come back … from then on, we just went through the process together.”

“It was traumatic, it was a lot,” James told Inherited of her diagnosis at such a young age.

She also spoke about the early days of her romance with Myles, and said she was “seeing his roommate” before they started dating.

“Our first date, he picked me up at midnight and we went for a swim in Bondi Beach really late at night,” she said.

“That first part of our relationship is so amazing and so fun and there’s so much innocence in it, which is really beautiful.”

They married when James was just 20 years old.

“Having my own children now, I’m like, ‘How did my parents let me get married at 20? That’s just wild,’” she said.

“But I think I started life so young … I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The pair have been married since 2011 and they share four kids together.

In February, James reflected on it being 10 years since her cancer battle.

“10 years ago today I underwent 6 months of chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma,” she wrote underneath pictures of herself with a shaved head.

“Today, I’m proud to say that I’m cancer-free, with 4 beautiful, healthy kids. Grateful for this journey and everything that came with it. ”