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Sarah Beeny on why her family chose to film intimate cancer documentary

The broadcaster was given the all-clear earlier this year.

Sarah Beeny

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Published: Tuesday, 6 June 2023 at 1:57 pm

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Sarah Beeny has revealed why she and her family decided to welcome cameras into their life during her traumatic battle with breast cancer.

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The broadcaster and property expert was diagnosed with the illness in August 2022, with doctors fortunately catching it early, leading to her receiving an "all-clear" update in April of this year.

Nevertheless, Beeny's initial reaction to the news was one of extreme fear, telling Radio Times magazine that her thoughts immediately went to funeral planning.

This was partly a result of her own mother passing away from breast cancer at 39 years old – when Beeny herself was still a child – which left her with a terrifying feeling that she too would die young.

“My second son Charlie pointed out that, actually, we know way more people who have got over cancer than died of it, but when you hear the word, you think of the people you know who’ve died,” she told Radio Times.

"We’re all slightly hindered by historical opinions which are not necessarily based on the reality of treatment today."

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Correcting these widely held assumptions was a key driver for Beeny wanting to chronicle her own cancer journey, while her four sons – aged between 13 and 19 – felt their involvement could help other children whose parents are battling the illness.

“If they hadn’t wanted to do it, trust me, it wouldn’t have happened," she explained.

Beeny added: "It wasn’t an easy decision. I suppose it started with me wanting to prove that cancer treatment was better [than it used to be] because I needed it to be better.

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"Then, as time went on and the reality was a lot better than I thought it was going to be, I felt it would really help people, so that’s what kept me going.”

The television presenter said that she hopes viewers take away the importance of going to the doctor at the first sign of anything being wrong, as an early diagnosis can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of treatment.

She explained: “I had the privilege of talking to some top professors about the future of breast cancer treatment. The big message is, if you have any kind of suspicion, go to the doctor.

"Don’t delay, because if you do get a diagnosis early, cancer is no longer terminal."

Our full interview with Sarah Beeny and other stars is in this week's Radio Times, available now.

Sharon Horgan Radio Times cover

Sarah Beeny vs Cancer airs on Channel 4 at 9pm on Monday 12th June 2023. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of David Craig, smiling against a lime green background.

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.

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