Sky Sports presenter Jo Wilson has recalled the “world-crumbling” moment that she was wrongly informed her cancer had returned – nearly three years after she had been given the “all clear”.
Wilson, 41, told fans on social media that she was given the incorrect diagnosis back in February, which led to five months of “test, scans, waiting and uncertainty”.
The TV presenter was originally diagnosed with stage-three cervical cancer in July 2022 following a routine smear test after the birth of her daughter, Mabel.
She was told that the radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment had been successful, and that she was cancer free in late 2023.
“In February, after my three-year scan, I was told my cancer had returned in a lymph node. I couldn’t believe it – it felt like my whole world had crumbled all over again,” she wrote on Instagram on Wednesday (22 July).
“But after being referred to the high-dose radiotherapy team, one consultant questioned whether the diagnosis was actually correct.
“What followed were five months of tests, scans, waiting and uncertainty before, last week, I finally got the news I’d been desperately hoping for: it wasn’t cancer after all. The lymph node is now thought to be a benign neuroma – a cluster of nerves that was likely inflamed at the time of my original scan.”
Wilson said the relief she felt at the news was “indescribable” – “but so too is the emotional toll from the last five months, believing – then not knowing if my cancer had returned”.
“On the outside, life carried on – I worked, was being a mum, played (lots of) padel, spent time with friends and family, and smiled for photos,” she said. “But underneath it all, I was carrying something very heavy, and there were times I found myself in some very dark places.”
On why she decided to share her story, Wilson wrote: “Firstly, because we often talk about being ‘cancer free’, but I’m not sure any of us ever truly feel free of it. The fear of recurrence can stay with you long after treatment ends, and I think it’s important we talk about that reality. If you’re someone living beyond a cancer diagnosis, please know you’re not alone.”
“Secondly, because social media is never the full picture,” she said, noting the discrepancy between her “happy moments” on Instagram and the problems that “existed alongside” them that no one saw.
Finally, Wilson urged people to remember “we never really know what someone else is carrying”.
“So this is simply a reminder to be kind,” she concluded. “Always. Thank you to my incredible support network, you know who you are.”
Emma Paton, Hayley McQueen, Izzy Christiansen, and Emma Saunders, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and suffered brain infection encephalitis last year, were among those to voice their support for Wilson in the comments of her post.
In November last year, Wilson presented a documentary titled Football, Cancer and Me. In it, she met with others in the football world – including Bournemouth’s David Brooks and Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray – who had been diagnosed with cancer to share what it takes to rebuild their lives.
