Julia Bradbury reveals she’s quit alcohol after breast cancer diagnosis

Countryfile star Julia Bradbury has taken on a different approach to live almost a year on from her breast cancer diagnosis and mastectomy, where her left breast was removed

Julia Bradbury has revealed her decision to give up alcohol in a new approach to her life a year on from her cancer diagnosis.

Countryfile star Julia, 52, revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2021 and underwent a mastectomy a month later.

She opened up about her diagnosis and how it affected her in her candid documentary Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer and Me.

Julia, who is mum to Zephyr, 11, and twins Xanthe and Zena, seven, has opened up to woman&home about being "six months out the other side" of her cancer journey, during which she had a 6cm tumour, two lymph glands and her left breast removed.

The TV star, who recently shared footage of her reaction the day after her mastectomy, said: "Historically, I haven’t been kind to my body or my gut.

"I had a reputation for drinking everybody else under the table. But right now, I don’t feel comfortable drinking alcohol because if I drink one unit of alcohol a day, my risk of recurrence is between 5% and 6% across my lifetime.

"With four units a day, it goes up to 28%."

Meanwhile, Julia's outlook on life has changed also after receiving her "lifetime" diagnosis.

Julia explained: "My whole mantra for life has become 'be grateful for what you do have, not what you don’t have'.

"I have a breast, I have my nipple, but I don’t have sensation and because I’m naturally slim, I have what I call the mozzarella-cheese effect around – as my friend Ben Shephard and I call it, my pneumatic boob."

The TV star then explained that she was given the option to have more surgery on her breast, but has decided against it.

Julia opened up on her journey with cancer so far

She explained: "Because my skin is very thin, you can really see the silicone implant beneath and it will be that way unless I have another procedure to inject fat from somewhere else.

"I don’t want to do that. It would purely be for aesthetics.

"I suppose age has something to do with it. In your 50s and 60s, femininity is still part of your identity, but it’s not the be-all and end-all."

Julia was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, after finding a lump in her breast the year before which proved to be a cluster of benign micro-cysts. After a follow-up mammogram, which included an ultra sound and a physical examination, everything showed up fine and she almost didn't show up for her further appointment.

Julia had a mastectomy a month after she revealed her diagnosis

But her sister encouraged her to keep the appointment, in which her doctor found a small shadow on her breast.

After getting a biopsy done privately, Julia was at home when she received the heartbreaking news. However, it wasn't receiving the news that was the most difficult, as Julia later admitted telling her children was the "hardest thing ever".

She recalled on This Morning in April: "Telling your children you have cancer is the hardest thing you'll ever have to do in your life.

"You also don't quite now how much to tell them to be realistic, and how much do you need to protect them as well. It is a very tricky balance. I don't think any parent really knows exactly what to do."

The September issue of woman&home is on sale Thursday 28 July 2022

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