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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Tina Campbell

Holly Willoughby in tears as Julia Bradbury discusses having breasts removed amid cancer battle

Holly Willoughby became emotional watching a clip from Julia Bradbury’s documentary

(Picture: ITV)

Julia Bradbury left Holly Willoughby in tears as she bravely detailed having both of her breasts removed after being diagnosed with cancer.

The Countryfile star underwent a double mastectomy last October to remove a six-centimetre tumour.

She appeared on This Morning ahead of her upcoming ITV documentary, Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer and Me, which airs tonight.

The 51-year-old shares three young children with husband Gerard Cunningham.

Holly Willoughby became emotional watching a clip from Julia Bradbury’s documentary (ITV)

In a preview from the documentary, viewers saw a clip of the nature presenter getting to see her kids again after being in the hospital.

“We didn’t video call while I was in the hospital because I didn’t want to scare them,” she explained to hosts Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

Both Bradbury and Willoughby became visibly emotional after the clip played.

Tearful Willoughby, who is a mum-of-three herself, admitted: “That’s got me!”

Bradbury went on to say how she was advised to say “goodbye” to her boobs before undergoing the lifesaving operation.

Julia Bradbury bravely told how she was advised to say goodbye to her breasts before having them removed (ITV)

During reconstruction surgery afterwards, she explained doctors had to use silicone implants as she “didn’t have enough fat” on her body.

She said: “Some women have reconstructions, someone like me can have immediate reconstruction. [My surgeon] took a bit of a risk, I had to have a silicone implant, and I didn’t have enough fat.

“The surgeon was able to save my own skin and nipple, which I’m very grateful for…. I said goodbye to my breast… My friend said the best advice she got from a doctor was to say goodbye to your breast.

“It was really helpful and cathartic. It’s [A mastectomy] a really traumatic thing and a brutal procedure… There is no nice way to treat cancer, it’s pretty horrible.”

Giving a health update, Bradbury said she is “very good” physically six months on from the procedure, but “emotionally, it’s a very rocky road”.

She added: “I’ve done another test and I’ve discovered some serious hormone imbalances I have… I’ve been really deep-diving into what I can do to keep my health in check.”

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