FORMER Bachelorette Katie Thurston broke down in tears while appearing on Good Morning America on Wednesday.

The former reality star of the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchises spoke about her “devastating” breast cancer diagnosis and has said that she has to “show up or die.”

Speaking to GMA’s Eva Pilgrim about her diagnosis on GMA, Katie explained how she didn’t see coming – especially because she is just 34 years of age.

Katie even revealed that there was no family history of the disease before she got the devastating news.

She said hearing she had breast cancer was “the worst feeling I’ve ever felt.”

“You’re just devastated. It’s so shocking,” she said.

“As a 34-year-old woman, you’re just not prepared.”

“When I felt my lump, it was sore. As women, we’re used to being told, oh, it’s probably your time of the month, or it’s your time of the month. So I just brushed it off for a while.”

She then spoke about treatment, revealing, “Because of the size of the tumor, I have to do chemo first to shrink it down. Then I can have it removed.”

‘YOU SHOW UP OR YOU DIE’

Katie also spoke about how she has been in “survival mode” ever since she was diagnosed in February.

“You don’t have a choice. You show up or you die,” she said.

“I hate to say it that way. Every day you have an appointment, every day you have to show up.”

Katie starred as the lead in season 17 of The Bachelorette in 2021.

She previously appeared on season 25 of The Bachelor but didn’t find love.

She was engaged to Blake Moynes, but they ended their engagement in October 2021 due to “distance.”

Katie later began dating John Hersey, whom she had eliminated during week two of her season.

In June 2024, Katie – who has dabbled in comedy herself – revealed on social media that she was dating comedian Jeff Arcuri.

And last September, they revealed that Jeff had popped the all-important question, with the couple announcing their engagement.

WEDDING PLANS DASHED

Speaking about her marriage plans during her GMA interview, Katie said: “We thought we’d be planning a wedding, we thought we’d be trying for a baby.

“Instead, we know this year is really just dedicated to treatment and getting better.”

She went on to touch on her fiance’s humor, saying: They say laughter is medicine. And I will say him being my partner, I really couldn’t have asked for someone better by my side.

She later revealed that she and Jess “are okay being a childless couple” if fertility is affected by chemo, though she has frozen her eggs.

Sending a message to other women, Katie said: “Don’t wait. Be proactive. Get checked out. You could be doing yourself a favor in the future.”