Julia Bradbury made a huge life decision after the “trauma” of her cancer diagnosis. The former Countryfile star says she is not living in fear of her cancer returning but is starting a new form of therapy to help make sure she has “emotionally handled” the condition.
Julia, 55, underwent a mastectomy in 2021 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. She has since seen herself pivoting towards a more healthy lifestyle, embracing nature and even taking a trip to the Antarctic for her latest TV show, Julia Bradbury’s Wonders of the Frozen South.
When asked by Woman magazine if she ever fears the cancer returning, Julia revealed she “won’t let herself”. But she is planning on undergoing therapy to make sure she isn’t “holding onto something” after her recovery.
She explained: “That’s where meditation and emotional work have been crucial. I’m starting a new type of therapy soon, which is about overcoming trauma.
“I want to make sure that I have [emotionally] handled [the cancer] well and I’m not holding onto something.”
Julia went on to reveal that her diagnosis meant she had to stop and take stock of her life. She continued: “Cancer saved my life in so many ways.
“When your health, mobility, movement and capacity to operate on a daily basis is under threat, you’re forced to look at what’s important. I had to think, ‘How do I want to live my life from now on?’”
It was then Julia said her passion for the outdoors grew, something she likes to encourage son Zephyr, and twins Xanthe and Zena, 10, to embrace. Julia explains that a walk in the forest is “beneficial in so many ways”.
Speaking to Woman's Weekly magazine, Julia shared an update on her health after being given the all-clear from cancer. She said: "My markers are regular checks, good sleep, low inflammation, feeling strong. I've improved my health and fitness, month on month, year on year, since 2021."
Last year, Julia embarked on a 24-day expedition to Antarctica – an adventure that will be showcased in the ITV series Julia Bradbury's Wonders of the Frozen South. She confessed that it was a difficult decision to leave her family for the longest period since her cancer battle.
Julia, who shares her three children with husband Gerrard Cunningham, said: "This was a tough journey to leave my family for so long and a really big decision to make this series.
Julia explained that she had a close encounter with a disintegrating iceberg during the filming of the show. She remarked: "They are so unpredictable. We were filming and I was pointing at an iceberg, which had a big crack.
"I don't want to live under a cloud of fear. I had to prove to myself that I could still do this, that there was a strength within me and that I was brave enough."
Julia has previously admitted that producing the show was a “pivotal point” in her recovery. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she confessed: "After a breast cancer diagnosis and mastectomy in 2021, I didn't think I'd ever be brave enough to leave the safety of my home and family to do something like this again.
"I was so weak physically, and so emotionally raw, that the idea of testing myself, of making this kind of TV show and being so far away from my partner and our children seemed impossible.
"To achieve it five years after cancer felt like a pivotal point in my recovery, proof I could return to the adventures that I love."
