TV legend Trisha Goddard reveals incurable cancer diagnosis at 66

Chat show host Trisha Goddard has said her cancer has returned and she has been told ‘it won’t go away’.

The 66-year-old media personality recovered from breast cancer in 2008. In a recent interview she said her cancer had come back 19 months ago and that she had decided to keep the news private until now.

“It’s not going to go away. And with that knowledge comes grief, and fear. But I must keep enjoying what I have always enjoyed,” Trisha said.

Trisha hosted daytime TV chat shows on ITV and channel 5 from 1998 to 2009.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, the TV presenter explained why she had now decided to open up about her diagnosis.

“I can’t lie; I can’t keep making up stories. It gets to a stage, after a year and a half, when keeping a secret becomes more of a burden than anything else,” she said.

Adding: “My worry is that people will start seeing me as a frail little thing, and that if (the news) got out, I’d be judged, or people would change the way they are with me, or that I wouldn’t work. 

“I’m a journalist; I don’t want to be ‘the story’. I don’t want to be interviewing someone and for them to say to me: ‘I’m so sorry.'”

Taking to Instagram, Trisha shared the news about her cancer diagnosis writing: “Doing this is tough. ..I’ve been keeping a difficult secret for 19 months now, but like my new hairstyle – I can’t hide it anymore.”

In the comments, one person wrote: “Love you so much as you know, you inspire me every single day.”

Another put: “You look beautiful Trisha. Only wish this image was accompanying brighter news. Sending you strength, ease and all you need to get through this again.”

And a third added: “What a beautiful and powerful photo. You are incredible Trisha, and you have a great many good people in your corner. Sending love and strength xx.”

She went on to say she received the diagnosis after she suffered a fall at home where she slipped while running up the stairs.

She injured herself in the fall and ended up in excruciating pain and unable to move. Stuck there a few hours, she managed to alert neighbours who called an ambulance and her husband Allen, who met her at the hospital – where both received the worrying news.

Allen said: “She was in acute pain… Then a young resident – like a junior doctor – came in and said: ‘Oh, it looks as though you broke your femur and smashed your right hip, which is full of cancer cells. And you have a tumour. It doesn’t look good.”

“That was the first I heard that the cancer had come back. And the first thing I asked was: ‘Am I going to die?’,” added Trisha.

During her previous battle with cancer, Trisha revealed she had been diagnosed after suffering an injury while out running.

She was diagnosed after going for an X-Ray in 2008. In 2020, she recalled the moments that led to her diagnosis, saying: “The lady doing the x-ray asked me if I’d been for an x-ray before. I said ‘A mammogram; does that count?’ 

“She asked when it was and I couldn’t remember so she looked it up and said: ‘2001. Due for another one.’ She booked me in and things went pretty quickly from then. So thank God for running.”

Trisha has credited running for helping her remain positive throughout her cancer treatment saying: “I went running every day, even if I just staggered for an hour or so. Even if I didn’t feel like doing it. 

“First thing I did when I got out of bed was put my running gear on, so it wasn’t a question of not feeling like it. Nine times out of ten I did not feel like it, but I knew at 17–20 minutes that I’d get that kick. 

“So I thought: ‘What’s 17 minutes?’ The only time I didn’t run was after my second operation and I was going mad – I was looking outside dreaming of running. Honestly, I could not have got through treatment without it.”