Former Dancing with the Stars co-host Samantha Harris has faced more than her share of life-changing challenges—from battling breast cancer twice to surviving frightening moments on television sets.

But one of her most unforgettable experiences came thanks to Tom Cruise, who stepped in just in time to prevent what could have been a painful on-set accident.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, the 52-year-old television personality looked back on a memorable assignment from her days as an Entertainment Tonight correspondent while promoting Cruise’s 2010 action-comedy Knight and Day in Seville, Spain.

The event was designed as an action-packed promotional shoot featuring a closed course, multiple cameras, and thousands of spectators watching the production unfold.

Harris explained that she and Cruise weren’t even supposed to ride the motorcycle.

“We weren’t even supposed to ride on the motorcycle. We were supposed to talk to him, do an interview and get into a chase car with a stunt driver and then chase him on his motorcycle,” she recalled.

Curious about the powerful Ducati Cruise was riding, Harris asked if she could simply sit on it for a photo.

Cruise happily agreed.

Having only ridden horses before, Harris instinctively tried to mount the motorcycle the same way she would climb onto a horse.

That decision nearly led to disaster.

“I go to get on, and this Ducati, slow motion, as thousands of fans are watching, as cameras are rolling, this 500-pound Ducati starts to tip with me on it over, about to crush Tom Cruise.”

Before the motorcycle could fall, Cruise reacted instantly.

Harris vividly remembered the Hollywood star catching the heavy bike with both arms before lifting it back upright.

“Literally, like in a movie scene, Tom gets under that Ducati, catches it with both arms, pushes it, rights it back up.”

Embarrassed, Harris assumed the moment was over and prepared to return to the chase vehicle.

Instead, Cruise calmly encouraged her to try again.

“Can we try that again? This time keep your foot planted… on the ground as you get on.”

The second attempt went exactly as planned.

Once seated behind Cruise, Harris wrapped her arms around him before they sped through the streets of Seville.

Laughing about the moment years later, she admitted one unexpected thought crossed her mind.

“Oh my God, your abs.”

The comment was caught on camera and later aired on television, much to the amusement of her husband, who watched the broadcast while caring for their first child. Harris later realized she had actually been pregnant with their second child during the trip.

Looking back, she described the motorcycle ride as one of the most exciting celebrity interviews of her career.

“Tom takes off through the streets of Seville, Spain. It was the most fun, awesome TV experience of all my different thousands of celebrity interviews.”

While that memory remains a favorite, Harris said her outlook on life changed dramatically after being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in March 2014, when she was just 40 years old.

The diagnosis ultimately inspired her to shift her career toward health advocacy and wellness.

“I absolutely found a new purpose,” she said. “The work I’m doing now is much more blending the world of wellness and how we can have agency over our health future.”

Earlier this month, Harris hosted the Tower Cancer Research Foundation’s Tower of Hope Gala in Los Angeles, where she reflected on the difficult path that led to her diagnosis.

Despite discovering a lump, she said three different doctors reassured her over a four-month period that it was nothing, even after a clear mammogram.

Still, Harris trusted her instincts and continued pushing for more testing.

Although the additional diagnostic tests initially suggested the lump was not cancer, a breast specialist decided to remove it anyway.

That decision proved lifesaving.

Doctors discovered it was stage 2 invasive breast cancer, and further surgery revealed it had already spread to a lymph node.

After undergoing a double mastectomy, Harris was declared cancer-free later in 2014.

However, her journey wasn’t over.

In August 2024, the cancer returned in what she described as a local regional recurrence.

Once again, she said doctors initially dismissed her concerns before additional testing confirmed the recurrence.

Fortunately, because she detected it early and had adopted significant lifestyle changes over the previous decade, the recurrence was caught while still very small.

Today, Harris continues to encourage others to advocate for their own health.

“We have to be our own best health advocates.”

Although she admits the fear of cancer returning never completely disappears, Harris says she feels stronger than ever.

“I am feeling more energetic, happier, healthier, more vibrant than I have ever been… it’s really given me a new lease on life. And I’m excited for this next chapter.”

Source: Various Sources.