Singer Jessie J has said she is so “grateful” and feels like a “little kid” again as she performs her first show since breast cancer surgery.
Opening with Domino, the singer, 37 – whose real name is Jessica Cornish, was introduced to the main stage at BBC’s Radio 2 in the Park in Chelmsford on Saturday by actress Dame Elaine Paige.
This comes after the mother-of-one announced in early June that she had been diagnosed with early breast cancer, with her first surgery taking place weeks later.
In August, she revealed she had to undergo a second surgery before the end of the year and therefore had to postpone her upcoming tour.
Cornish said: “This is the biggest acoustic show I’ve ever done before in my whole career.
“Some of you may know, some of you may not know, but I had breast cancer surgery 11 weeks ago today and the last show I did, I had no idea what was going to happen – and I’m still very much in the recovery process.
“I’m just so grateful to be here. You have no idea how grateful I am to see so many of you singing along. After all these years, it truly feels like I’m a little kid, still doing what I love.
“And another special thing that’s happening today is that my son is seeing me sing on stage for the first time.
“In my head, all of us are related. So can we just go with that, that we’re like, at a family barbecue or something, and we’re all cousins, and I’m very aware that my voice is going to get more and more Essex as this goes on.”
Cornish welcomed her son, Sky Safir Cornish Colman, in 2023 – having miscarried in November 2021.
During her performance, Sky joined the singer onstage and said hello to the sea of festival goers before singing Happy Birthday together – a song that appeared to have been chosen as it was one that the two-year old knew.
Before singing her new song, Living My Best Life, Cornish said: “I was diagnosed literally two weeks before this song was released, and everyone said ‘let’s stop, let’s just put everything on hold’. And I said ‘that’s not what life’s about. Life is about standing in the storm but holding up your umbrella, and just keep moving forward’.
“I don’t know about you guys, but for me, music is a healer. Music is the thing that keeps me wanting to wake up in the morning and just makes me excited about life, and I’m grateful that I can make music that can give other people something that they might need on a hard day or a good day.
“So this song is called Living My Best Life, and that is what I’m doing every single damn day, because we never know when our last day will be. So soak this up, hug the people you love hard and enjoy.”
The singer postponed her UK and Europe dates until April 2026, and she had to cancel the US leg of the tour.
She has battled with ill-health throughout her life, having been diagnosed with a heart condition aged eight, suffering a minor stroke aged 18 and having briefly gone deaf in 2020.
The singer-songwriter has had three number one songs in the UK singles chart with Domino, Price Tag and Bang Bang.
She was awarded four Mobo awards in 2011 including best UK act, best newcomer, best song for Do It Like A Dude and best album with Who You Are – and won the Brit Award for rising star in 2011.
