Julia Bradbury’s heart “really did go out” to Catherine, Princess of Wales after the royal revealed she was undergoing preventative cancer treatment.
Julia Bradbury’s heart ‘really did go out’ to Catherine, Princess of Wales after the royal revealed she was undergoing preventative cancer treatment
The former ‘Countryfile’ presenter, 54, had a mastectomy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, with mother-of-three Catherine, 42, revealing her fight with the disease in March.
Julia told the new issue of Good Housekeeping about empathising with the princess and her decision to go public with her health battle: “My heart really did go out to her. I wanted to go public with my cancer diagnosis because I didn’t think I’d be able to keep it a secret.
“Also, I’ve been an ambassador for multiple cancer charities for 20 years. My mum had bowel cancer. My dad had prostate cancer.
“So I’ve always put myself out there because cancer is something that, unfortunately, affects all of our families.
“I felt that it was the right thing to do to go public, and then to talk about how I was managing and handling it.
“I didn’t do it for a sympathy vote. I did it to show that I was as scared and vulnerable as anybody else.”
Julia, who like Catherine also has three children, also told how she has overhauled her life following her breast cancer fight.
She said: “Going through a health shock made me think about everything differently.
“I had to reframe work after my breast cancer diagnosis and build in daily habits that were going to become lifetime ones that would impact how I work.
“I saw that, actually, you’re not selfish if you implement self-care and you’re not being lazy if you rest, because it’s incredibly important.
“How that all fits into the work jigsaw is that I don’t work seven days a week any more. I still need to earn a living, but I’ve found a way.”
Read Julia’s full interview in Good Housekeeping’s September issue on sale from Thursday (01.08.24.)
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