Julia Bradbury admits meltdown after lockdown breast cancer scare
Julia Bradbury confessed she had a “meltdown” after getting the all clear from breast cancer amid the stress of lockdown.
The former Countryfile presenter discovered a lump on her breast in March which was found to be benign. But Bradbury confessed to Closer magazine that even the reassuring diagnosis caused her to “have a meltdown”, amid the stress and strain of the coronavirus pandemic.
Bradbury, 49, said: “It was such a relief. I like to think I’m mentally strong, but I had a complete wobble and couldn’t stop crying – and that’s fine. You have to admit when you feel emotional or stressed and let your emotions out. Keeping them trapped inside is bad for you.”
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The TV presenter discovered the lump while working away in Costa Rica but waited to seek medical help on her return to the UK, because she felt guilty knowing NHS staff were under the strain of battling COVID-19.
She said: “I felt a lump and it was sore... but when I got home, it was lockdown and I was distracted with the family and life just took over.”
And Bradbury is not alone in delaying reporting her fears to a doctor, as Cancer Research UK says urgent referrals have dropped by around 75 per cent during the pandemic.
The TV star revealed she eventually contacted her GP after talking to a friend who shared her concerns, and she was referred to a breast cancer specialist at her local hospital.
She said: “It was so scary. As I was going to see the breast specialist, the feelings and thoughts were swirling. I kept thinking, ‘I hope this is all right’. It was my first mammogram. I’ve got tiny boobs and it was more an issue of finding enough to flatten in the machine!”
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Bradbury is mother to eight-year-old son Zephyrus and five-year-old twin daughters Xanthe and Zena with her long-term partner Gerard Cunningham.
The TV presenter has previously spoken about her struggles to conceives through IVF after undergoing treatment for endometriosis, a condition which affects fertility.
