Actress Lisa Faulkner, best known for her roles in EastEnders and Holby City, has revealed she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and has undergone surgery. The 54-year-old, married to chef John Torode, shared the news on Tuesday in a video to her 372,000 Instagram followers.
Surgery and Recovery
Faulkner explained that the surgery took place two weeks ago, describing it as “quite a big op.” She reported that doctors have given her the all-clear, with all cancerous tissue removed. She still requires radiotherapy in the coming weeks but said she is “feeling so much better.”
“I’ve had to have surgery because I’ve had the very early stages of breast cancer,” Faulkner said. “I had surgery two weeks ago, and it was quite a big op, but it’s all good, and I’ve had my results back, and they’ve got everything out, and so it’s all clear, and I just need now to have some radiotherapy in a few weeks.”
Urging Check-Ups
Faulkner emphasized the importance of attending breast screenings, stating that her cancer would not have been detected without her mammogram. “I am so grateful that I went for my mammogram,” she said. “Don’t put them off, go, because they found this and without that mammogram it wouldn’t have been picked up.”
The actress thanked the “wonderful NHS” for the scan and early treatment, highlighting the critical role of public health services in her diagnosis.
Personal Background
Faulkner has four children and married Torode, the former MasterChef presenter, in 2019. Her announcement comes nearly a year after Torode was dismissed from the cooking competition show following an upheld allegation of using “highly offensive racist language” during a review into his co-presenter Gregg Wallace’s misconduct.
