BAFTA-winning actress Marisa Abela has spoken candidly about the lasting impact of her thyroid cancer diagnosis, admitting she remains "still slightly vain" as the condition makes managing her weight more challenging.
The Diagnosis and Life-Changing Surgery
The star of HBO's Industry was diagnosed with the disease in 2020 at the age of 23. Her treatment involved an eight-hour operation to remove the tumour, a procedure that carried significant risks. During an appearance on the How To Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, Marisa revealed the stark reality she faced before surgery.
"I had to sign a form that said if they cut the nerve that's attached to my voice box, I'm not going to sue them," she explained. The actress described the period as "bleak," consumed by fears about her career and future. "I was thinking, 'Will I be able to be an actor, will I be able to speak, will anyone employ me with a big scar on my neck?'"
The Ongoing Battle with Hypothyroidism
Following the removal of her thyroid gland, Marisa developed hypothyroidism, a condition that slows the body's metabolism due to insufficient hormone production. This has fundamentally altered her relationship with her body and fitness.
"It's a difficult one because the thyroid is one of the hormones you need for your metabolism to be working, so it's been a lot more difficult for me since the illness to stay fit," she confessed. The 29-year-old actress admitted that while her focus is now on making "healthy choices, not just skinny choices," the adjustment has been tough.
"At the beginning I thought I was going to have peace with my body, but what's difficult is now I have to work harder to maintain a healthy physique," Marisa said. "Of course I'm still slightly vain and I want to look good."
Finding a Lifeline in Love and Support
Marisa credits her husband, West End actor Jamie Bogyo, 31, with being her rock throughout the ordeal. The couple, who met as students at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2016, had only been together for a year when she received her diagnosis.
"He was an immense help and it was one of the moments where I knew that this was the person I wanted to be with forever," she shared. His unwavering support during her most vulnerable moments confirmed he was "the one."
Marisa recalled a poignant post-surgery moment: "When I came out of the surgery I had a really gnarly scar and it was all the way from my neck to the top of my ear and it was stapled, bloody and intense, and he was just like, 'you look so beautiful.'"
The couple became engaged in July 2024 on London's Primrose Hill, where they first met, and tied the knot in a romantic Sussex manor house wedding in September 2025.
Marisa, who won a BAFTA for her role as Yasmin Hanani in Industry and portrayed Amy Winehouse in the biopic Back To Black, continues to navigate the physical and emotional aftermath of her cancer journey, balancing professional demands with a newfound perspective on health and self-image.
