John Torode has spoken candidly about his wife Lisa Faulkner's health struggles, detailing how he stood by her during a challenging chapter in their lives. Lisa revealed she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in July, subsequently informing her Instagram followers that she had undergone "quite a big op".
She explained that she still had "quite a bit of healing to do. But I'm good, I'm well. And feeling so much better". The Celebrity MasterChef winner has also previously been forthright about navigating menopause and the difficulties she faced.
Diagnosis Compared to Grief
Looking back on Lisa's health challenges, John likened her cancer diagnosis to "grief", describing how the ordeal had fundamentally altered their lives. Speaking on the Spooning With Mark Wogan podcast, he said: "Bodies change forever, life changes forever, thoughts change forever."
Host Mark Wogan then addressed the effect of menopause on women, adding: "[It] just sort of catapults you into that next stage of life as a woman you're kind of like, 'Oh', there's no slow into that, it's like, 'There you go, there's some menopause for you'."
'Everything Pales in Significance'
John responded: "Yeah and it's brutal and, you know, as somebody once said, the cancer word comes up and everything pales in significance, everything."
"It doesn't matter what goes on from now on, that's it. We're going to deal with this and life will start all over again and, you know, I've always been an optimist."
"I believe that the world is a great place, I believe in the universe, I believe in the stars and the sky, I love looking at the sunshine, but you know there were some times that were slightly dark and I thought I've got to find a bit of light here, I've got to find a way," he added.
Time Off Work as a 'Blessing'
The 61-year-old also disclosed that losing his role on MasterChef coincided with a period when he could devote more time to supporting Lisa throughout her cancer treatment. Looking back on the previous year, he went on: "For all that's gone on over the last sort of 12 months or so, I've been really fortunate to have the time off to actually be there with her and to sort of be able to guide ourselves through that time."
The chef also emphasised how crucial it is for men to comprehend what their partners might be experiencing, underlining that even the most modest gestures can prove significant. "Men should know a lot more about it, I believe there should be more education about it," he added.
He proceeded to describe how he concentrated on being present for Lisa whenever she required support, whether that involved assisting with household tasks or accompanying her to medical appointments. "But all I could do really was be there for when she wanted something, whether that would be make a bed, a cup of tea, make something to eat, feed her, you know, whatever, wash her hair, it didn't really matter, take her to a hospital, just hold onto her, it didn't really matter what it was but having that time off has been a bit of a blessing really," he added.
