BBC Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts has revealed that she’s been diagnosed with bowel cancer, and will begin treatment today (October 25).
The 42-year-old DJ, who hosts the station’s weekend breakfast show, shared the news in an Instagram post, saying she was diagnosed at the start of October and that the outlook is “positive”.
“Ok, there’s no easy way to do this and it feels weird, especially posting on social media (I’m going full Black Mirror) but I’m hoping it’ll reach anyone who might benefit from seeing it or reading it,” her message, which was shared alongside photos of her in a hospital gown and details on how to spot bowel cancer, began.
“For a while now I’ve been struggling with my digestion,” she wrote. “Thanks to a conversation I had with my Dad a few years back I went to my GP for a check up. I’ll be honest, I was embarrassed but I also knew that it could be something serious. So I went just in case.
“I didn’t think anything of it at first and just assumed it might be food sensitivity. After a few phone calls I was sent for some examinations and checks. I was then diagnosed with bowel cancer. This was at the start of the month.”
The message added: “It’s all happened so quickly and I’m so sorry to post something like this on here but I hope it helps anyone who might be worrying, or suffering in silence. PLEASE make sure you get checked out if you have ANY concerns.
“The sooner you’re able to see your GP or talk to someone the sooner you can get help. If I hadn’t I might not be so lucky. As I’ve learned over the last few weeks, there’s no ‘normal’ with cancer. Sadly it can affect anyone, at any age, anytime. It doesn’t discriminate. Early detection can save your life.”
Praising the NHS as “incredible,” Roberts added: “I’m going to have surgery tomorrow to remove the tumour and then see if I need anymore treatment or if the cancer has spread. So far the outlook is positive and I feel so lucky that I can be treated. It’s just the start of my journey but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.
“I didn’t know I’d be writing something like this. The hardest thing wasn’t even finding out I had cancer, it was telling my family. It broke my heart.”
Sharing a statement following the news, Radio 1 said: “Our love and support is with Adele, Kate and their families at this very difficult time.
“Everyone at Radio 1, along with millions of listeners, wishes her a speedy recovery and we look forward to welcoming Adele back on air soon.”
Roberts began hosting Radio 1’s weekend breakfast show in January of this year, after working on 1Xtra from 2012 and on Radio 1’s early breakfast show from 2015.
She also appeared on Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.
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