Entertainment
Victoria Derbyshire: ‘The NHS kept me alive and I want to talk about it’-Rachael O'Connor-Entertainment – Metro
‘Cancer has a ripple effect, it doesn’t just affect the patient.’
Victoria Derbyshire took part in a new documentary series as she wanted to speak about how the NHS kept her alive (Picture: The Waiting Room/PA)
Victoria Derbyshire has thanked the NHS for saving her life as she fought cancer.
The BBC News presenter was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and spent the next year undergoing gruelling treatment as the NHS battled to save her life.
Victoria underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but continued to work when she was well enough, wearing a wig to present the news so as not to distract from the guests she was interviewing.
Now thankfully cancer-free, Victoria is set to appear in documentary film series The Waiting Room, presented by Dr Sukh, where she details her diagnosis and journey with the NHS.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk ahead of the launch of the documentary, Victoria said that, seven years after her diagnosis: ‘I’m good, I’m healthy, I’m happy. I’m lucky.’
She revealed how she was approached by Dr Sukh who asked her if she would take part in the documentary series about people whose lives were shaped by the NHS, and immediately knew her answer.
‘I said yes,’ she said. ‘Because the NHS really helped me and kept me alive and I wanted to talk about it.’
Victoria underwent intense treatment with the NHS which saved her life (Picture: Dr Sukh’s Waiting Room)
She said she wanted to show appreciation for every single person in the NHS who had helped her during the tumultuous, uncertain period of her life.
‘I don’t just mean the surgeons, the doctors,’ she explained.
‘I mean the chemo nurses, the ancillary staff, the radiographers, the radiologists, the ultrasound people.
‘It’s a massive team who treat cancer patients and I hope there’s some appreciation for all of them.’
In her candid interview with Dr Sukh, Victoria details her life, from her childhood marred by domestic abuse, to her journalism career and breast cancer diagnosis.
She admitted that ‘it can be a bit dark and grim’ to speak about both cancer and domestic abuse, ‘but those are two things I know quite a bit about and I want to talk about it if people want to listen.’
Victoria recalled how, when she was battling cancer and putting videos online about her treatment, ‘a lot of people got in touch and said it had really helped.’
She hoped that speaking about domestic abuse in the same way ‘might help some other people.’
‘I still think it’s a taboo subject in a way that I don’t think cancer is a taboo subject anymore,’ she added.
The presenter works hard to raise awareness and funds for cancer research after recovering from the disease (Picture: Getty Images)
When she first began uploading videos detailing her treatment to social media, Victoria looked on it as a ‘journalistic exercise,’ and said she was ‘a bit taken aback’ by the response from viewers.
‘I started to get messages from mostly women, who were facing a mastectomy or chemotherapy and they watched my videos and said “I’m having a breast removed next week and I just watched your video and I feel less scared about it.”
‘I got messages from relatives of people going through cancer treatment, saying “I understand now a bit more about what my wife is going through,”‘ she said, adding it was ‘gratifying’ to know she had helped people in some way.
Victoria spoke openly about her treatment and was blown away by the response from other patients and their relatives (Picture: Dr Sukh’s Waiting Room)
Victoria explained: ‘Cancer has a ripple effect, it doesn’t just affect the patient but everybody around them. Kids, partners, sisters, mums, friends.
‘It is a profound thing in someone’s life to be diagnosed with cancer.’
More: TV
The Waiting Room, presented by facial surgeon trainee Dr Sukh, sees interviews with the likes of Victoria as well as Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Malala Youfsafzai, Louise Stewart, Sanjeev Bhaskar and more detailing their journeys with the NHS.
The documentary film series launches on June 1.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
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