Julia Bradbury has revealed what saved her life after doctors missed her breast cancer not once, but twice.

The television presenter appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday and discussed her health battle. 

Julia, 54, was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2021 and is now in remission.

However she shared on the daytime TV show that doctors didn’t spot the disease originally due to her having ‘dense breasts’.

She explained: ‘It’s nothing to do with the shape or size, it’s to do with your tissue, the density of the tissue and it makes it very difficult to detect cancer on mammograms because dense breasts show up white on a mammogram and cancerous tumours show up white.’  

Julia told hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls that some medics say ‘it’s like looking for a snowball in a snow storm’.

The campaigner added: ‘I had a lump, I had self checked… but two mammograms later they said ‘no, it’s benign, it’s probably nothing to worry about’.’

Julia Bradbury discussing her cancer battle on ITV’s Good Morning Britain today

Julia told hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls that some medics say ‘it’s like looking for a snowball in a snow storm’

However, it wasn’t until her third appointment that the cancer was identified.

Julia explained: ‘It was on a third visit to my consultant where it was an accidental ‘let me just give you an ultrasound before we let you go off for another year’.’

She added: ‘So I did that and he spotted it on an ultrasound because ultrasound is better with dense breasts.’ 

Julia went on to say that if it had been missed again, she felt she might not still be here or could be experiencing ‘much more severe treatment now’.

‘Your mind races as to what would’ve happened. Certainly if it had been caught sooner I probably would’ve had to have a lumpectomy, not a mastectomy,’ she said.

When they discovered Julia’s tumour via ultrasound, it was 6cm, she revealed. 

Last year, Julia spoke on Good Morning Britain to hosts Richard Madeley and stand-in presenter Trisha Goddard, about her diagnosis.

It wasn’t until Julia’s third appointment that the cancer was identified via ultrasound

The television presenter and campaigner pictured at the WellChild awards last year 

Richard asked: ‘Has your outlook on everything changed since your diagnosis?’ 

She said: ‘Completely and I’m sure Trisha will agree with me, I know. It is impossible to face a cancer diagnosis, to live through treatment and ongoing disease, whatever your situation might be and for your life not to be changed.

‘It has awakened me in certain ways as well. I say in my book that cancer actually saved my life because I was a workaholic and I was pushing myself, I was stressed all the time, I wasn’t eating properly. 

‘I was addicted to sugar, all sorts of things that I have completely changed.’

Back in January 2023, the star took to Instagram to share a reel documenting her life since being diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2021.

Julia Bradbury admitted that her breast cancer diagnosis ‘saved her life’ during an interview last year on Good Morning Britain

Julia attending The Paddington Bear Experience in London last year

Julia, who is married to Gerard Cunningham, then underwent a mastectomy after publicly announcing her diagnosis.

Reflecting on her battle with breast cancer, Julia shared pH๏τographs of herself from across the year as she spoke about how she has changed her life.

She said she has given up alcohol, changed her diet and prioritises sleep as she spoke about the lifestyle changes she has implemented to reduce her risk of her cancer returning.

The reel also included some emotional moments from throughout her cancer battle, including her attending her breast screening and in a hospital bed for treatment.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 from 6am and is available to stream on ITVX.