Adele Roberts says fiancée Kate Holderness has been ‘absolute hero’ through cancer treatment
The BBC presenter said stomach cancer diagnosis ‘brought us closer than ever’
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Adele Roberts has praised her fiancée Kate Holderness for being her “absolute hero” during her journey with stomach cancer.
The BBC Radio 1 DJ revealed she was undergoing treatment for the cancer in October and had a tumour removed through surgery.
She now uses a stoma bag that attaches to her abdomen and collects her body’s waste. Roberts had also been undergoing chemotherapy.
Speaking to Hello! Magazine about her relationship with Holderness, the 43-year-old presenter said her diagnosis “brought us closer than ever”, which she admitted “sounds strange”.
“I’ve always loved Kate but since my diagnosis I’ve seen a different side to her. She’s my counsellor, my mentor and the best nurse ever.
“She helped me when I could barely walk and had to shuffle into work at Radio 1. She’s my absolute hero.”
Holderness said: “I’ve always been a timid person but Adele’s illness has unleashed a strength in me I never knew I had.”
Roberts, who appeared on the cover of Women’s Health magazine in May with her stoma bag also pictured, reflected on the day she received her diagnosis.
She said: “After a scan, the doctor broke the bad news. My first question was: ‘Am I going to die - and is it my fault?’
“I felt bad for putting Kate and my family through that, but now I know that getting cancer is nobody’s fault, and that sadly it will happen to one in two of us.”
Holderness added: “I was devastated. But I held back the tears because I didn’t want her to think that I thought she wouldn’t beat it.
“So I went into practical mode, writing down everything the doctor said.”
Roberts has documented her cancer treatment through social media and shares updates regularly with her more than 201,000 followers.
In a recent post, she said she had begun her recovery from chemotherapy.
She wrote in the caption: “I feel like I’m living in someone else’s house at the moment. My body isn’t my own.
“All bloated, sore and it won’t go to sleep at night. I do feel like I’m turning a corner though. Chemo recovery is just as brutal as the treatment itself!”
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