London, November 8 Strictly Come Dancing star Laila Rouass fears having cancer in her bowel, it has emerged.

The actress, who was named in a race row after dance partner Anton Du Beke told her "she looked like a Paki" following a spray-tan, has purportedly undergone a series of tests to learn if she has the killer disease.

"Laila's been feeling severely exhausted and drained for a few weeks," the News of the World quoted a close friend as saying.

"At first she put that down to all the gruelling six-hour rehearsals and live performances. She thought she could simply shrug it off.

"But now she's been to see the specialists and had blood tests to see if anything is wrong," the friend added.

The 38-year-old mum was said to have kept her fears under wraps from co-stars and BBC bosses.

She sparked health concerns by shedding around half a stone since the series started in September.

The source added: "Laila's had to miss some training schedules but has tried to keep going as much as possible. She doesn't want to make a fuss and that's why she's not told anyone on the show.

"Most dancers lose weight during the show, but Laila's appears to have been a bit more dramatic than people would expect. She was fit and healthy before she went on to Strictly, so despite all the long hours and hard work it's unusual for her to be feeling like she does on a daily basis." (ANI)