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Lisa Faulkner has revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The TV chef, 54, has already undergone surgery and will have a course of radiotherapy.
Lisa, who is married to former MasterChef star John Torode revealed the news on Instagram on Thursday.
She said: 'I know I’ve been very quiet on here, reason being I have had to have surgery for the early stages of breast cancer.
'I had surgery two weeks ago, it was quite a big op but it’s all good and I’ve my results back and they’ve got everything out.
'So it’s all clear and I just need now to have some radiotherapy in a few weeks.
'I just wanted to say I’ve got a bit of healing to do but I’m good. I’m well and feeling so much better and I’m so grateful I went for my mammogram.'
Lisa Faulkner, 54, revealed on Instagram on Thursday she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and had major surgery two weeks ago
Lisa is married to former MasterChef star John Torode
Encouraging others to go and get checked out, Lisa said: ' I just wanted to say don’t put them off, go, because they found this and without that mammogram it wouldn’t have been picked up.
'Thank you to our wonderful NHS and the fact we can have these mammograms and we can get treatment early.'
Lisa's daughter Billie Coghill, who she adopted in 2008 when the toddler was 17 months old with her ex-husband Chris Coghill, led the supportive messages.
Billie, 20, shared a sweet message for her mother, writing: 'Love you so much mama. You’re my absolute inspiration.'
Lisa was married to Emmerdale actor Chris between 2005 and 2011, after meeting on the set of the ITV soap.
Lisa first met John when she competed on Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, which she won. At the time, both were married to other people, but they stayed in touch.
They became a couple two years later after John wrote her a letter asking her out to dinner.
After winning Celebrity MasterChef, Lisa built a second career around cooking.
She has written several bestselling cookbooks and co-presents John & Lisa's Weekend Kitchen with her husband, John.
The programme focuses on approachable home cooking and has become a regular feature on ITV.
Lisa's post, which was captioned 'a little update from me', was also commented on by various famous friends who sent their well wishes.
Kate Lawler wrote: 'Oh darling. Sending you huge amounts of love and and healing hugs. I'm so pleased you went for your mammogram'.
British journalist and author, Lorraine Candy, said: 'I am preparing all the funny furry animal videos to send your way asap. So good to see your little face, lots of love to you and your family.'
Lisa's daughter Billie Coghill, who she adopted in 2008 when the toddler was 17 months old with her ex-husband Chris Coghill, led the supportive messages
The TV chef, 54, has already undergone surgery and will have a course of radiotherapy
Designer and fashion writer, Fran Bacon, said: 'Sending you so so much love Lisa, so much to go through, glad to hear they got it all out. Take time to heal, to get better and rest. Sending you a huge hug.'
MasterChef UK Finalist 2025, Sam Kaeokon, said: 'Sending you lots of love Lisa and take good care'.
The number of breast cancer cases in women under 50 has surged five per cent in just one year, new analysis has shown.
Since 2000, diagnoses in this age group have climbed by 16 per cent - with no equivalent surge for men.
While no smoking gun has been identified, experts are concerned modern lifestyles are fuelling an epidemic in early onset cancer - defined as those diagnosed before the age of 50 - especially in young women.
It comes as more than 8,500 younger women - who are not typically invited for NHS screening - are now diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK.
Breast cancer is now the most common cancer in the UK, with more than 59,000 new cases a year. It’s estimated that 1.4 million people will be living with the disease by 2050.
Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: 'With breast cancer cases on the rise, it’s never been more important to understand what’s driving this trend, to prevent breast cancer developing in the first place where we can, and to diagnose the disease early, when the treatment can be most effective.
'While ageing populations and improvements in survival play a role, we know that at least 23 per cent of cases could be prevented through healthier lifestyle choices.'
So what could be behind the mysterious surge in breast cancers in young people and how can you minimise your risk?
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid-filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammogram, a special X-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000
English (US) ·