Michaela Strachan has admitted she ‘forgot she had cancer’ until a friend ‘reminded her to celebrate’ 10-year anniversary since her diagnosis.
The Springwatch star, 58, had her world turned upside down in 2014 when she discovered she had breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy.
But in what was one of her darkest periods, Michaela said she ‘wanted to celebrate’ that it’s been a decade since her cancer scare.
Speaking to OK! magazine, she said: ‘Someone had to remind me of this, but it’s 10 years since I had my cancer scare. They said “Are you going to celebrate?” and I suddenly thought “Oh my god, I should!”.
‘Stupidly enough I hadn’t thought about it because I actually forget I’ve had cancer.’
Michaela Strachan, 58, has admitted she ‘forgot she had cancer ‘ until a friend ‘reminded her to celebrate’ 10-year anniversary since her diagnosis
The Springwatch star had her world turned upside down in 2014 when she discovered she had breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy
She added: ‘I’m a survivor and I know how lucky I am.’
The TV presenter was diagnosed after a routine mammogram, but went on to make a full recovery, which was followed by reconstructive surgery.
Surgeons advised her to have a double mastectomy since there was a risk of the lobular cancer spreading from one breast to the other.
The presenter told The Mail On Sunday at the time: ‘I couldn’t get my head around the fact that on Monday morning I’d been apparently healthy, by Tuesday I had cancer, and by Wednesday I was talking about a double mastectomy.’
She has since worked as an ambassador for the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, stressing the importance of having regular mammograms.
The TV star recently took part in the new BBC series Pilgrimage alongside Spencer Matthews and Christine McGuinness.
Speaking to the Express after filming the show, Michaela spoke about her ‘shocker’ of a year after suffering three devastating losses as well as her battle with cancer.
She opened up on her struggle with grief after losing her sister-in-law, and two of her close friends lost children.
But in what was one of her darkest periods, Michaela said she ‘wanted to celebrate’ that it’s been a decade since her cancer scare
Speaking to OK! magazine, she said: ‘Someone had to remind me of this, but it’s 10 years since I had my cancer scare. They said “Are you going to celebrate?” and I suddenly thought “Oh my god, I should!”
‘Stupidly enough I hadn’t thought about it because I actually forget I’ve had cancer’, she added
The TV star recently took part in the new BBC series Pilgrimage alongside Spencer Matthews and Christine McGuinness
She said: ‘These were people our age. I know I’m getting on but I’m 57 – I shouldn’t know this number of people who have died.
‘I went from her funeral, basically, to Pilgrimage. So I was carrying grief, which made it a different journey.’
Michaela added: ‘I don’t think I would have processed the grief.
‘I would have compartmentalised it. I can be quite controlling in my own emotions sometimes.’