Property expert Sarah Beeny has opened up about how she has overhauled her lifestyle after being diagnosed with breast cancer, but admits she still enjoys a fast food treat
Channel 4’s own Sarah Beeny has confessed to still savouring the occasional indulgence, despite having revamped her lifestyle following a breast cancer diagnosis. In an intimate chat with The Sun’s TV Mag, the 53-year-old admitted to heeding the advice of Dr Chris van Tulleken in his book, ‘Ultra-Processed People’, but can’t resist a rare treat now and then.
The entrepreneur and TV star has never shied away from discussing her personal fight with the disease, encouraging others to undergo health screenings.
In anticipation of her stint on The Great British Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer airing on Channel 4, she remarked: “There are things that have changed along the way. I read Chris van Tulleken’s book Ultra-Processed People about ultra-processed foods and it was so logical that I now make different choices with food. But I’m not a saint, I still eat a bag of crisps and have a cheeky McDonald’s.”
Having graced our screens in programmes such as Property Ladder and Sarah Beeny’s New Life in the Country, Sarah has acknowledged the relative luck she counts herself as having, especially being diagnosed at a time when cancer treatment has significantly progressed.
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly earlier in 2023, she expressed: “I feel very fortunate that I had the diagnosis that I did, and that I live in 2022-23, and that I’m the age I am. So many things that I’m fortunate for.”
Sarah is among a number of famous faces harnessing their influence for the greater good and to draw attention to the importance of cancer checks, ensuring that those who are either anxious or hesitant, are encouraged to get screened. The power of celebrity voices like Sarah’s can lead to an increase in medical referrals, as individuals become motivated to seek advice about their health.
This impact was also observed following Sir Chris Hoy’s heartbreaking revelation of his terminal cancer diagnosis. The Olympic hero, who has been told he has between two and four years to live, has inspired many to approach their health with newfound urgency.
The Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust is one organisation that believes their uptick in referrals can be directly attributed to the 48-year-old Olympian’s candidness about his illness. Felicity Taylor-Drewe, the Trust’s chief operating officer, spoke to the BBC, indicating that people “are absolutely influenced by celebrities”.
Taylor-Drewe singled out a significant bump in prostate referrals, rather than general cancer screenings, dubbing this encouraging trend the “Chris Hoy effect”. A similar surge was also recorded after King Charles and Princess Kate Middleton faced their own battles with undisclosed forms of cancer in 2024.
