Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue has spoken out about her battle with breast cancer after being diagnosed with the disease at the age of 37.

During an interview with Karl Stefanovic on Sunday night’s 60 Minutes program, the now 46-year-old Minogue started crying while recalling her struggle with the illness before eventually overcoming it.

“Oh boy, how did I do that,” Minogue said.

“Someone had said to me at the time, ‘You need to be a little bit selfish’. It’s not in my nature to be selfish but now is the time to do that let people take care of you. And … that’s what I did.”

• Australia, we need to talk about Kylie

When asked what she learned from her experience, Minogue responded: “Many things…it’s a mixture of emotions and memories”.

“It is years until you really get the all clear and by the time my hair started growing back it was very exciting, it was like a miracle.”

Despite tearing up when discussing darker times, the singer also got the giggles when remembering her romance with late INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence.

Stefanovic prompted The Voice Australia judge to fall into fits of laughter when asking her about rumours that the notoriously wild musician delivered a memorable pick-up line upon their first meeting.

“Kylie, I don’t know whether to take your for lunch or have sex with you,” Stefanovic said.

“I’ve got a stitch coming on!” Minogue said. “I’m not going to say exactly what the line was because I like that it was something that’s just between him and I but it was something like that.”