BBC Radio 1’s Adele Roberts reveals she has been diagnosed with bowel cancer

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BBC Radio 1 presenter Adele Roberts has revealed she has been diagnosed with bowel cancer.

The former Big Brother star, 42, took to Instagram on Sunday to make the announcement and said she was going to have surgery on Monday to remove a tumour.

Adele said she was diagnosed at the start of the month, adding ‘the outlook is positive’ as she encouraged people who have symptoms to see their doctors.       

She wrote: ‘Ok, there’s no easy way to do this and it feels weird, especially posting on social media (I’m going full Black Mirror) but I’m hoping it’ll reach anyone who might benefit from seeing it or reading it.

‘For a while now I’ve been struggling with my digestion. Thanks to a conversation I had with my Dad a few years back I went to my GP for a check up. 

‘I’ll be honest, I was embarrassed but I also knew that it could be something serious. So I went just in case. I didn’t think anything of it at first and just assumed it might be food sensitivity. 

‘After a few phone calls I was sent for some examinations and checks. I was then diagnosed with bowel cancer. This was at the start of the month.

‘It’s all happened so quickly and I’m so sorry to post something like this on here but I hope it helps anyone who might be worrying, or suffering in silence. PLEASE make sure you get checked out if you have ANY concerns. 

‘The sooner you’re able to see your GP or talk to someone the sooner you can get help. If I hadn’t I might not be so lucky.’

Adele went on to praise the NHS and said that is going to give her treatment ‘everything’ she has got.

She said: ‘As I’ve learned over the last few weeks, there’s no ‘normal’ with cancer. Sadly it can affect anyone, at any age, anytime. It doesn’t discriminate. Early detection can save your life.

‘The NHS have been INCREDIBLE. They’re heroes. I’m going to have surgery tomorrow to remove the tumour and then see if I need anymore treatment or if the cancer has spread. 

‘So far the outlook is positive and I feel so lucky that I can be treated. It’s just the start of my journey but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got.

‘Sending everyone so much love and positivity for the week ahead. THANK YOU to my family words cannot describe how much you have helped me through these last few weeks. You saved me. 

‘You are my angels and I shall be thinking of you tomorrow. I can’t wait to wake up and see your beautiful faces (on FaceTime if I can compose myself enough to work my phone). If not your voices to hear you will be everything. That’s all I’m wishing for.’

Adele added that the hardest part of her diagnosis was telling her family about it, especially her girlfriend Kate Holderness.

She wrote: ‘I didn’t know I’d be writing something like this. The hardest thing wasn’t even finding out I had cancer. It was telling my family. It broke my heart. 

‘If you know any of them please look after them for me until I can see them again. Especially my Katie. I worry about her being on her own while I’m away.  

‘Thinking of you if you are going through something similar and sending love to your family and friends. Thank you to everyone who’s shared their journey online or publicly. 

‘You’ve brought so much comfort and helped me through those sleepless nights. I hope this post can do the same for someone else.’

Adele also thanked her colleagues at BBC Radio 1 for their support and said her listeners have been a solace for her without them knowing. 

She said: ‘Thank you also to Radio 1, you have been incredible. I couldn’t be in a better place to be going through this. Your support has meant the world to me & my family.

‘I love you Team Weekend… and your listeners… wow. You got me through these past few weeks without even knowing. Thank you also to the brilliant teams at Fuse, Nissan and Noisy Kitchen. You’ve all been so kind, supportive and understanding. I can’t thank you all enough.  

‘Ok I want to leave this on a positive so I’ll sign off with this. I saw a brilliant quote recently: ‘Strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.’

‘I’m ready to do this. Time’s up cancer… Time to go. 

‘There’s a list of symptoms in case you’re worried. Stay safe and see you on the other side xx’. 

Adele shared an infographic listing some of the symptoms of bowel cancer which included bleeding from the bottom or in the stool and a persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit. 

Other symptoms include unexplained weight loss, extreme tiredness for no obvious reason and a pain or lump in the tummy.  

Adele was inundated with well wishes following her announcement with the BBC Radio 1 Instagram account saying the station was looking forward to having her back on the airwaves.

They wrote: ‘Sending all our love and support to you, Kate and your families. Everyone at Radio 1 – along with all our listeners – is wishing you a speedy recovery and we can’t wait to welcome you back on air soon ❤️❤️’.

Fellow BBC presenter Clara Amfo wrote: ‘Love you so much,’ while Mollie King added: ‘Sending you so much love Adele! ❤️❤️❤️’.

Former Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle wrote: ‘Thinking of you lovely one!!!! Good luck tomorrow!!!! ❤️❤️’.

Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley wrote: ‘Oh my God darling I’m sorry but if there’s anyone who can best cancer it’s defo you ❤️ sending you lots of love and strength go kick cancers arse you got this’. 

Adele first found fame when she took part in the third series of Big Brother in 2002 alongside fellow housemates Jade Goody, Alison Hammond and winner Kate Lawler. 

The presenter, from Southport, Merseyside, finished in seventh place after lasting 43 days in the house. 

She spoke about being bisexual on the series, though she had not revealed her sexuality to her parents at the time.   

Taking part in a panel hosted by charity RU Coming Out as reported by Gay Star News, she explained: ‘I had gone to university and had a girlfriend and everyone was cool about it but I hadn’t had that talk with my mum and dad.

‘But I went on Big Brother in 2002 and talked about it and that’s how they found out. I wish now I had had that conversation with them before.’

Adele said she struggled to come out as a teenager in the 1990s while growing up in Southport.  

She said: ‘There weren’t many people who were out who I knew. There were only a couple of famous people – Elton John and Martina Navratilova.

‘I felt quite depressed and quite alone. With me being mixed race my mum and dad had always said be proud of who you are and that is what got me through.

‘When you come out that weight that is lifted is amazing. When you can come out, when it’s safe to come out, that first opportunity to be yourself is amazing.

‘One of the first things I wanted to do as soon as I got to the BBC was tell as many people as possible, so if there were other young people struggling I could help them.

‘I feel like it is my duty as I was so alone when I was younger.’

Adele moved into radio following her stint on Big Brother, landing her first gig at Rock FM in Lancashire followed by The Hits Radio in Manchester.

In 2015, Adele was announced as the new host of Radio 1’s Early Breakfast show from 4:00-6:30am.

Five years later, she became the first black woman to host the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show after host Greg James failed to make it on air following the Brit Awards, which was later revealed to be a planned stunt where listeners had to try and locate him.

In 2019, Adele took part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! where she was the first camp mate voted off.

The following year, she and girlfriend Kate both appeared on E4’s reality game show Celebrity Coach Trip.