Dancing On Ice star Alex Murphy Klein reveals how suffering a stroke aged just 24 left her feeling terrified

Alex Murphy Klein has revealed how suffering a stroke aged just 24 left her feeling terrified. 

The former Dancing On Ice pro skater, 37, had the medical emergency while she was skating on a cruise ship in Tenerife.

After undergoing keyhole heart surgery, she headed to the Netherlands to take part in the Dutch version of Dancing on Ice.

However, she was so worried it would damage her career as an ice skater that she kept it from show bosses.

Speaking on an upcoming episode of the Bedside Manners podcast, Alex said: 'I wasn't telling anybody what had happened.

'I didn't want anyone to know, because I didn't want people to not hire me. It's a competitive world.

'I made friends with one of the girls that was also on the show with me... and [I told her] I'm just a little bit nervous about sleeping... I left my hotel room open, and every night she came in and slept in my bed with me.

'She was a good friend - to this day still.'

Just months after her stroke and surgery, the dancer won the Dutch version of Dancing on Ice.

She explained: 'Because of what had happened - I know it sounds crazy - I just knew I was going to win.

'I said to myself, 'There's no way that God put me here and isn't going to let me win this, he's going to give me a break.' '

Following the stroke, Alex couldn't write her own name and didn't know what her parents' names were.

She said: 'I couldn't put anything together, and it took a few days for that to come back.'

It comes after Alex broke down in tears after revealing yet another hurdle in her heartbreaking fertility journey.

The professional skater and her husband Paul Klein, 38, have embarked on several rounds of IVF but without success, and sadly the couple have had another set-back in their quest to become parents.

Taking to her Instagram in August, Alex posted an emotional video in which she told how their plans for another round of IVF had been delayed after she underwent a uterine wash on the advice of a fertility doctor.

A uterine wash is a medical procedure in which sterile fluid such as saline is gently flushed into the uterus and then removed, in a bid to improve the uterine lining and treat any infections.

But Alex told that following the procedure, her microbiome had dropped from 98 per cent to 0.43 per cent, which means she'll now have to wait another three months before she can try IVF again.

Updating her fans on the bad news, the skater struggled to contain her emotions as she shared her agony at having to wait again, while chastising herself for not asking more questions.

She said in her video: 'I’m mostly mad at myself for not questioning everything and for not asking a million questions and for not saying, "Oh, well, why do I need that?" Like, I just didn’t know. 

'And I just like went along with it. And I’m so disappointed in myself.

'And I think that that’s like why I’ve been upset for the past few days, because I’m like, I’ve let myself down.

'I should have asked more questions. I should have done more research. It’s my frigging body.

'And I turned around and I let somebody else take control of it. I will never let that happen again, obviously, but it has absolutely put a wrench in our plan.'

Captioning her post, Alex once again expressed her heartache at the setback and admitted that she's so dejected, she feels like she wants to 'give up'.

She penned: 'This is never ending. I’m so frustrated, sad, and disappointed with the care we’ve received, but also with myself for not asking more questions. I feel like you can’t trust anyone in this industry and everyone is just out for money. Genuinely just want to give up at this point.'

Alex was flooded with plenty of support from her followers in the comments, with many reassuring her she wasn't at fault, while others praised her strength amid her difficult journey.