Lauren Laverne has shared an encouraging health update.
Over the summer, the Desert Island Discs host disclosed that she had been diagnosed with cancer, and would be taking a break from her presenting work to focus on her recovery.
“It was (thank God) caught early and unexpectedly during a screening test and I am expected to make a full recovery,” she told her Instagram followers in August.
On Sunday afternoon, Lauren posted an update on Instagram, confirming she’d been given the “all clear” by doctors and would be returning to work on The One Show this week.
“After taking some time off to get better I’ve had the all clear and will be back to work on your TV this Tuesday with the wonderful [The One Show] team,” she wrote, revealing she’d also been quietly working on new episodes of Desert Island Discs which will air “soon”.
She’ll also be back on BBC 6 Music in 2025.
“I want to say a huge thank you to the brilliant medical teams who took such great care of me, to the thousands of people who sent me such beautiful and encouraging messages, my friends and the acquaintances who took the time to support me after going through cancer themselves – and most of all to my family: my two astounding kids and especially my husband Graeme, who was absolutely extraordinary throughout,” she wrote.
Lauren continued: “It’s been a difficult time but one that has taught me so much about what really matters.
“I can’t say I suddenly regretted never having hiked the Inca Trail, more that I now see more beauty in ordinary things than I could have imagined, and feel more than ever that the small things in life – the connections we make and care we take with each other – are the big things really. I have so much to be grateful for and excited about, and that is thanks to everyone mentioned above.
“Loads of love to anyone going through cancer treatment or supporting a loved one through it. See you soon and thanks again for the well wishes.”
Having initially made a name for herself as the lead singer of the indie group Kenickie, the Sunderland-born star went on to forge a new career for herself in broadcasting in the late 1990s.
Among Lauren’s biggest TV and radio credits are the short-lived Channel 4 current affairs show 10 O’Clock Live, the nightly magazine show The One Show and the BBC’s flagship interview series Desert Island Discs, which she’s hosted since 2018.