Actress-turned-reality Tv star Brooke Burke-Charvet has shown off her surgical scars in her first public appearance since her thyroid gland was removed in a bid to halt the spread of cancer.

The Dancing with the Stars host, who is married to former Baywatch hunk David Charvet, went public with her health crisis in November (12) and a month later (Dec12) underwent the life-saving procedure, which left her with a large incision on the front of her neck.

The operation was a success and the 41 year old is now cancer-free and has returned to work. During an interview on U.S. breakfast show Good Morning America on Tuesday (08Jan13), the Tv personality donned a hot pink dress and was all smiles for her return to the public eye, as she confidently displayed her scar for the cameras, adding, "No make-up, this is a first for me today. I've been scarfing it up (wearing scarves to hide it). It's fresh, it's a month old and I think scars tell a story and I'm so fortunate."

But the busy mum admits she will never forget how the medical scare affected her kids.

She said, "All the children really handled it differently... My son actually said, 'Is poppa gonna get it?' You know in his mind, at four years old, he doesn't know what cancer means.

"My six year old just thought, 'Mommy, I'm gonna go with you and I'm gonna hold your hand. I'm gonna go to every appointment.' My oldest daughter, it was really difficult for her when it was in the news and her friends had to come to her and say, 'Oh, I heard about your mum, we're so sorry.'"