BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The journalist, who presents the Victoria Derbyshire Show on BBC Two and the BBC news channel, revealed her diagnosis to her followers on Twitter.
She also shared that she will be having a mastectomy in the near future, and took a moment to praise her family, friends, colleagues and the NHS staff who are treating her.
© Photo: Rex"Hi, have been diagnosed with breast cancer and am having a mastectomy in a few weeks. Family, friends, work and NHS staff are being brilliant," wrote the 46-year-old on Wednesday.
The mother-of-two added that she "will be doing the programme as much as possible during treatment in the months ahead."
A spokesperson for the BBC said: "We wish Victoria a full and speedy recovery and look forward to having her back full-time on the programme as soon as possible."
Victoria began hosting her own BBC Two news hour in April, having previously worked on BBC Radio 5 live for 16 years. Last year she took home the Speech Broadcaster of the Year prize at the Radio Academy Awards.
A number of celebrities have undergone a mastectomy over recent years. TV presenter Michaela Strachan revealed that she underwent a double mastectomy at the beginning of 2014 and others to undertake the surgery include Sharon Osbourne, Anastacia, Michelle Heaton and Olivia Newton-John.
Angelina Jolie opted to have a preventive double mastectomy upon learning that she had the 'faulty' BRCA1 gene mutation and went public about the procedure in a moving essay entitled My Medical Choice in the New York Times.The Hollywood star explained that once she "knew that this was my reality", she decided to undergo the complex surgery which has seen her chances of developing breast cancer drop from 87 per cent to under five per cent.She added: "On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity."
