TV presenter and actress Lisa Faulkner has expressed gratitude to fans after revealing she was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and successfully underwent surgery. The 54-year-old, known for roles in Brookside, Holby City, EastEnders, and Netflix's Missing You, shared the news on Instagram on Thursday, followed by an emotional update on Friday.
Emotional Thank You to Fans
On Friday afternoon, Faulkner posted on Instagram: "Thank you for all of your support and your lovely messages. I promise I will read every word. So many of you going through this or know someone who is. Your love and kindness has really touched me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
The former Brookside star had earlier broken the news in a video on Thursday, explaining her absence from social media. She said: "I just wanted to come on because I know I've been quiet on here. The reason being, that I've had to have surgery because I've had the very early stages of breast cancer. I had surgery two weeks ago and it was quite a big op."
Successful Surgery and Radiotherapy Ahead
Faulkner, who has been married to former MasterChef star John Torode since 2019 and co-hosts John and Lisa's Weekend Kitchen with him, confirmed the surgery was successful. "But it's all good and I've had my results back and they've got everything out so it's all clear and I just need now to have some radiotherapy in a few weeks," she said.
She added: "I just wanted to say I've got a bit of healing to do but I'm good, I'm well and feeling so much better and I'm so grateful that I went for my mammogram. Don't put them off - go! They found this, and without that mammogram, it wouldn't have been picked up."
Praise for the NHS and Celebrity Support
Faulkner also thanked the NHS: "And I want to say thank you to our wonderful NHS and the fact that we can have these mammograms, get treatment early and treated quickly. I will see you all soon!"
Her announcement drew an outpouring of support from celebrity friends. EastEnders actress Emma Barton wrote: "Love you Lisa," with a red heart emoji. Catherine Tyldesley, who plays Eva Price in Coronation Street, said: "Sending love." Angela Lonsdale, recently cast in Emmerdale, posted: "Big love to you lisa x x," and Tamzin Outhwaite added: "Love you Lise. You've got this my darling."
Embracing Life After Loss
Earlier this year, Faulkner spoke about embracing new challenges in her 50s, especially after losing her mother Julie to throat cancer at age 44. She told Hello magazine: "I feel lucky to get to an age where you've got more to give and you're not invisible. Women are brilliant and we're picking each other up and looking out for each other. Life's short. My mum died when she was 44 and didn't get to have that second act. So I grab it."
This year, Faulkner returned to the stage for the first time in over two decades, starring in a touring adaptation of the 1992 film Single White Female. She was keen to take on the project as soon as she read the script.
If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.
