BBC Presenter Lauren Laverne Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

BBC Radio presenter Lauren Laverne has revealed that she has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment in hospital. The 45-year-old broadcaster shared the news with her Instagram followers on Monday, August 21, 2023.

In her post, Laverne wrote: “Hi all, I have something I want to share privately, and also publicly because cancer is a word that does a lot as soon as it is said, and I want to keep talking and working as much as I can.”

She continued, “I have cancer, I am being treated in hospital at the moment and will be for some time, and I’m going to be ok. It hasn’t spread and I don’t need chemo, my prognosis is good.”

Laverne, who presents the breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music and is a regular fixture on BBC TV, went on to express her gratitude for the National Health Service (NHS) and her medical team. “I love them so much, and want to say a public thank you to them, their colleagues I’ve met so far, and the NHS,” she wrote.

The presenter also thanked her family, friends, and colleagues for their support, saying that she is “lucky to have the most supportive, funny, brilliant friends and family.” She also thanked her “amazing team” at the BBC and her management for “doing so much to help this happen.”

Laverne, who began her career as a presenter on MTV in the late 1990s, has become a familiar face and voice on British television and radio. In addition to her radio work, she has hosted and presented various TV shows, including “The Culture Show” and “The Great Pottery Throw Down.”

She has also been an advocate for the arts and culture, serving as a judge for the Mercury Prize and the Turner Prize, and has been recognized for her contributions to broadcasting, receiving an MBE in 2020 for services to broadcasting and the arts.

In her Instagram post, Laverne struck a positive note, saying, “Cancer is rubbish and I’m scared, but it’s not a fight, or a battle, or a war. It’s just a thing that’s happened, that millions of people are managing, and something I hope science will increasingly be able to do its thing on.”

She concluded by saying that she plans to continue working as much as possible during her treatment. “So that’s the news, and I’ll be back on @bbc6music tomorrow, and back on @bbctheoneshow tonight, and with you on here, as much as I can,” she wrote.

Laverne’s announcement has been met with an outpouring of support from her colleagues, friends, and fans, with many sending their well wishes and positive thoughts her way.