Lauren Laverne has opened up about the emotional toll her cancer battle took on her in her first interview and pH๏τoshoot with Good Housekeeping. 

The radio presenter, 46, who revealed her cancer diagnosis last August, announced in November that she had been given the ‘all clear’ following treatment.

Now, four months later, Lauren has reflected on the harrowing ordeal, sharing how it has instilled in her a newfound sense of fearlessness. 

Speaking to the publication about the relief she and her beloved husband Graeme felt when they received the good news that she is now cancer-free, Lauren said: ‘I think it’s only when the storm pᴀsses that you realise what you’d been holding in.’

She continued: ‘The day I was discharged, we (she and her husband, Graeme) managed to get downstairs, and Graeme got me into the car, and we didn’t even switch it on. We just sat in the car and both burst into tears and cried.’

Now reflecting on her life after cancer, Lauren admitted that she probably loves her life more than she ever did before, appreciating ‘everything’ about it. 

Lauren Laverne has opened up about the emotional toll her cancer battle took on her in her first interview and pH๏τoshoot with Good Housekeeping

The radio presenter, 46, who revealed her cancer diagnosis last August, announced in November that she had been given the ‘all clear’ following treatment

She shared: ‘One of the really big things I’ve learned is that it’s all life. It’s all part and parcel and texture – a real life is lots of big experiences. 

‘And the truth of that is, like it or not, going through big stuff expands your emotional vocabulary. 

‘I’ve learned a mᴀssive amount and I hope I’m a better person now. And actually, I probably love my life more now than I did then, because I appreciate everything about it.’ 

In August 2024, Lauren shared the news of her cancer diagnosis on Instagram, revealing it had thankfully been caught early during a screening test, and she was expected to ‘make a full recovery.’

Lauren also disclosed in the interview that she had always been anxious about the possibility of developing cancer, especially after losing her mother to terminal cancer in 2022. 

Talking about how she caught her cancer early, she explained: ‘It was something I’d always been anxious about. Especially if you have family members who’ve been through it.

‘You have a sort of watchfulness about your own health, which is obviously why I got tested for everything and why it was picked up, thank God, so early on.’

She added: ‘The previous six years had been pretty bonkers – and I mean good and bad. In 2018, I turned 40 and that was the year I got Desert Island Discs and the (BBC Radio 6 Music) breakfast show. 

The DJ posed for a stunning spread with the women’s lifestyle magazine as she reflected on the harrowing ordeal, sharing how it has instilled in her a newfound sense of fearlessness

Reflecting on her life after cancer, Lauren shared: ‘I probably love my life more now than I did then, because I appreciate everything about it’

‘Two weeks after I got Desert Island Discs, my dad became ill and died.’ 

The interview and stunning pH๏τoshoot come one month after Lauren returned to BBC Radio 6 for the first time since revealing her cancer diagnosis. 

The presenter took a break from her breakfast programme in August. However, she later decided to step down from the breakfast slot and instead moved to a mid-morning show, with fellow radio star Nick Grimshaw replacing her. 

But last month, Lauren was back on the airwaves with her new show, revealing that it was ‘fantastic’ to be back. 

Before starting her slot, Lauren joined Nick on his new breakfast programme, telling him: ‘It feels fantastic. I mean I’ve been so excited. The nervous energy is also just excitement to get going.

‘I’ve done a couple of run-through shows just to remember how to press the ʙuттons and all that business, that’s the main stuff that I worry about. Just trying out our new features and things, it’s so exciting.’ 

Nick responded: ‘We’re excited to have you back! We’ve really missed you. We’re very excited that you’re back on the radio.’ 

Lauren then kicked off her own radio show, and after playing her first song, she expressed her joy at being welcomed back. 

She said: ‘The incredible Sly Stone to start and thank you for welcoming me home and letting me be myself here on 6 Music! Feels so good to be back. Good morning. Cheers to Grimmy for a sensational Breakfast Show. So, let’s get going, shall we?’

In January, Lauren, who hosts BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs and makes regular appearances on The One Show, shared that she would be stepping back from her early morning slot.

In November, Lauren revealed that she had been given the ‘all clear’, sharing the news on Instagram alongside a beaming selfie, proudly wearing a jumper that read, ‘Life is beautiful’. 

Read More Lauren Laverne reveals it’s ‘fantastic’ to be back as she returns to BBC Radio 6 following her cancer diagnosis

In a statement, she said: ‘As listeners will know, I had a really tough 2024 and worried at times that I wouldn’t be able to return to the station I love so much.

‘It has been a huge honour (and so much fun) to host the Breakfast Show for six wonderful years, but it is time to pᴀss the baton on, and to set my alarm a little later.

She continued: ‘During my recovery I learned all over again about the power of music, the people you surround yourself with and the emotional support and joy radio can provide.

‘I’m so grateful to be able to get back to doing what I love and sharing those things with our brilliant listeners every day.’

Last year, Lauren – who rose to fame as a teenager with the 1990s indie band Kenickie – took a break from presenting her BBC shows after being diagnosed with cancer. 

In November, she revealed that she had been given the ‘all clear’, sharing the news on Instagram alongside a beaming selfie, proudly wearing a jumper that read, ‘Life is beautiful’.

Read the full interview in Good Housekeeping’s May issue, on sale from March 27.