BBC newsreader Jane Hill has opened up about her secret cancer battle that kept her off screens for six months.
The 50-year-old broadcaster confirmed during an appearance on ITV's Lorraine on Wednesday morning that she had undergone a mastectomy when she was first diagnosed in November 2018.
Viewers were unaware of the reasons for Jane's absence from the BBC lunctime news, only when she tweeted about her return in May did she .
Jane also shared that while she had the support of her partner Sarah Shepherd, it was unfortunate timing for them both as her mum was also diagnosed with cancer in the same month as Jane.
Jane explained to Lorraine stand-in host Christine Lampard: "I had a mastectomy in November. I decided against reconstruction surgery. It wasn’t right for me, a reconstruction requires multiple surgeries.
"I didn’t want to put myself through anymore anesthetic. I do have a massive great scar across my chest."
She also explained her silence over her health battle was because she didn't want to post updates on social media in case there was a "hiccup".
"I left work at the end of November. You just don’t know how it’s going to go. You hope the operation is going to go well.
"My surgeon was amazing. On the day of my diagnosis what she made me do was walk away thinking about all the positives in my case.
"I was super lucky, Christine. I didn’t want to start talking about it on social media in case there was hiccup. I'd hoped I'd only be off work for six months, what if it turned out to be a year and a half?
"I didn't want to have to think about logging on and posting an update, it wasn't right for me to do updates."
The newscaster, who credited her healthy lifestyle and love for broccoli for saving her life, explained: "Having lived a healthy lifestyle helped with my recovery.
"I’m a regular gym-goer and I definitely realised with hindsight it has helped my recovery. Eating broccoli for 25 years has helped."
"I had a mastectomy in November. I decided against reconstruction surgery. It wasn’t right for me, a reconstruction requires multiple surgeries.
"I didn’t want to put myself through anymore anesthetic. I do have a massive great scar across my chest."
Her long-term partner Sarah was by her side throughout, but the pair also had to deal with Sarah's mum's own cancer diagnosis.
She said: "I have the support of my partner Sarah [Shepherd]. Her mum was also diagnosed with cancer in the same month I was so there was a lot of dark humour in our house. Her mum, touch wood, is doing well."
