Lucy Davis, the actress known for playing Dawn Tinsley in the BBC sitcom The Office, has said she has been diagnosed with “incurable” stage four breast cancer.
The 53-year-old, daughter of comedian Jasper Carrott, shared the news in a post on Tuesday, saying she was diagnosed a year and a half ago and the cancer has “metastasised” to her bones, including her spine, right hip and ribs, and it is “too late” for chemotherapy.
Davis’s message and outlook
“As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can,” she wrote.
“I always like to find the teachable moments in anything negative that happens. And cancer has not disappointed in that regard; there’s a lot I have learned from it, and I’m grateful for that.”
She acknowledged the physical challenges: “As some of you will know, the pain can really be something else. Standing and walking for too long a time can be hard, and I need to use a wheelchair sometimes (so if you see me toddling around in one, feel free to give me a push!)”
Humour as a coping mechanism
Davis said one of the most important things that has helped her through the cancer is humour, asking friends and family to poke fun at her “as much as possible” and above all not to treat her like a “sick person”.
“There’s nothing that will make you feel more unwell than being treated as if you’re unwell,” she said.
“I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it.”
Career and future plans
Davis said she will continue working for animal rights and would also like to keep working as an actress, a job which is one of the “biggest joys” of her life.
According to Cancer Research UK, stage four breast cancer is a cancer that starts in the breast tissue and has spread to another part of the body, making it incurable – however, treatment can control the cancer for some years.
Davis rose to fame playing receptionist Dawn in The Office, which follows the lives of office workers at Slough paper merchant Wernham Hogg, with co-creator Ricky Gervais as office manager David Brent, alongside Martin Freeman as salesman Tim Canterbury.
The series, which debuted in 2001 and ran until 2003, also starred Mackenzie Crook as Gareth Keenan and featured appearances from Sally Bretton, Ralph Ineson and Joel Beckett. It has been widely regarded as one of the most influential and acclaimed British comedies.
Davis is also known for playing Hayley Jordan on BBC Radio 4’s The Archers for nearly 10 years and appeared in the 2004 comedy Shaun Of The Dead opposite Simon Pegg.
