Lisa Faulkner has revealed the heartbreaking circumstances of her mother's death, recounting how Julie passed away while she was skipping school. The actress, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2026, shared the story during an appearance on the Full Disclosure podcast with presenter James O'Brien.
Mother died while Lisa missed school
Lisa was 16 years old when her mother Julie died at the age of 44 from cancer. She described the day of her mother's death in detail, explaining that she had left home that morning while her mother was unwell and was due to go to the Marsden that day.
"I said goodbye to my mum in the morning, and she was really not well. She was meant to go to the Marsden that day. And I literally bunked off school, and then my dad went to the school to find me, because my mum died that morning, and I wasn't there," Lisa said.
"By the time I came home at lunchtime, because I'd said I was going to the library to study… I got home, my grandad answered the door, and I just remember him saying to me, 'Have you seen daddy?' And I went, 'Why, what's happened?'"
Lisa recalled her grandfather telling her that her mother was upstairs, and her shock at learning she had died. "He went, 'Your mum's upstairs'. And I went, 'What, alive?' and he went, 'No, dead!'"
"It was one of those moments where I just went… 'What?' I had no idea. I remember racing up the stairs and, it sounds so weird but it's such a strong memory, I just got into bed with my mum," she added.
Reflecting on her mother's illness
Lisa spoke about how her parents shielded her from the seriousness of her mother's condition. She remembered that her mother's illness began with an ulcer on her tongue that turned out to be cancer, and that the family was kept away from her during radiotherapy treatment.
"I remember going to see her, she had radiotherapy and we weren't allowed to go near her. So things have changed now because I was so worried that when I had radiotherapy that I couldn't be near Billie or anyone," she said.
Lisa also reflected on her relationship with her mother, describing her as a "fireball" and admitting that they clashed during her teenage years. She said she needed therapy because she blamed herself for being unkind, and that her mother hid the severity of her illness partly for that reason.
She noted that her own daughter Billie has shown similar behaviour, saying: "She'd be really quite cold and aloof with me, and I know exactly why. At that age, you are the star in your own film. You don't need anybody else to be the star in your film, especially your sick mother."
During the interview, Lisa confirmed she is "out the other end" of her breast cancer battle.
