Lisa Faulkner Diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Undergoes Surgery
Lisa Faulkner, the actress and presenter, has revealed that she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and underwent surgery two weeks ago. In a post on Instagram on Thursday, July 2, she shared that she has since received the all-clear from her doctors but still needs to undergo radiotherapy. She reassured followers that she is feeling better.
Love Story Began on Celebrity MasterChef
Faulkner met her husband, John Torode, while competing on the BBC programme Celebrity MasterChef in 2010, which she went on to win. The couple began their relationship that same year and married in 2019. Since then, they have combined their professional and personal lives to co-host John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen, which debuted on ITV in 2019.
Reflecting on how the show changed her life, Faulkner told the Express in 2022: "No, I had absolutely no idea. I had no idea it was going to change my career. So much that I was then going to start cooking and then, you know, John and I being together. It's just so weird how the world works!"
Balancing Acting and Cooking Careers
Beyond her television chef persona, Faulkner continues to work as an actress, known for roles in soaps including Brookside, Holby City, and EastEnders. Discussing her dual career path, she said: "I'm very lucky to do both, and recently I've been doing some more acting as well. But I think we live in a world where - years and years ago, you only had one career and you didn't stray off the path - but you can't just have that one career anymore."
She added: "Life doesn't work like that - especially not as a 50-year-old woman in the acting game. There's not lots of work and so I've actually been very lucky in that I love to cook, I really love it."
Family Life and Shared Meals
Faulkner also spoke about her domestic life with Torode and their blended family. She is mother to adopted daughter Billie, while Torode has children Casper and Marselle from his first marriage, as well as Jonah and Lulu from another relationship. She revealed that making time to share meals together around the table often proved the most effective way to have "proper conversation" with their children.
