Julia Bradbury has entirely stopped drinking alcohol in the wake of her breast cancer diagnosis four years ago, after being warned about the dangers of even moderate consumption.
The 55-year-old former Countryfile star, who underwent a mastectomy during lockdown in 2021 to remove a tumour, was told exceeding a certain alcohol threshold would significantly heighten her chances of the disease returning.
“If I drink more than four units of alcohol a week, my risk of recurrence goes up by 28 per cent,” she said.
The broadcaster described her diagnosis as a moment when “death looked me in the eyes,” prompting her to overhaul her approach to health and wellbeing completely.
Julia Bradbury has given up alcohol entirely
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Despite her personal health motivations, Ms Bradbury acknowledged her abstinence from alcohol provokes strong reactions from others.
“But people find me giving up drinking infuriating,” she told The Times.
The presenter has faced considerable criticism on social media platforms, with some cancer patients questioning whether she is implying blame for their illness.
“I get a lot of pushback on social media about this,” she explained.
“People go, ‘I was healthy, I go to the gym, I got cancer, and now it’s metastasised and I’ve got secondary cancer. So are you blaming me for my illness?’ No. All I’m saying is, this is what I went through.”
Julia Bradbury has gained pushback on social media
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Ms Bradbury has been clear her experience served as a personal wake-up call rather than a judgement on others, prompting her to reassess her priorities around sleep, emotional wellbeing and time with loved ones.
The cancer diagnosis also threw Ms Bradbury into financial turmoil and compelled her to fundamentally rethink how she was living her life.
Both of her parents have also battled cancer, and she has experienced bereavements along the way, requiring her to reinvent herself professionally.
“But you can get through things, you can overcome hardships, and I like to think that’s what I do,” she reflected.
Julia Bradbury and Matt Baker co-presented Countryfile together for five years
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A physician recently challenged her relentless approach to life, comparing her driven personality to operating on borrowed resources.
“He said, ‘This drive that you have – you’re running on a credit card. You can push through all sorts of things. But is that the best thing for you?'” Ms Bradbury recalled.
Her stress hormones had previously been so elevated that another doctor likened her state to being constantly pursued by a predator throughout the day.
The presenter has since received the all-clear from doctors, though she maintains a schedule of routine medical appointments to monitor her health.
“I wasn’t close to death, but death looked me in the eyes,” she said.
“So I am more focused on my health than I ever have been. I don’t drink, I eat a healthy diet and exercise every day.”
The presenter has adopted an extensive daily wellness regime that includes breathing exercises and meditation at first light each morning, followed by another meditation session in the evening.
She also maintains a consistent physical exercise routine and keeps a journal as part of her transformed approach to self-care.
“We are human beings, not human doings,” she observed, noting that even predatory animals spend considerable time resting rather than constantly hunting.
The presenter has received the all-clear from doctors
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The presenter now dedicates as much quality time as possible to her three children: 13-year-old Zephyr and her 10-year-old twin daughters Xanthe and Zena.
“I really revel in being present with them and doing things with them that are nourishing and enriching – not big things, just being with them and spending time together is really, really important,” she said.
Following her mastectomy, Ms Bradbury made a commitment to venture outdoors every single day, regardless of weather conditions.
The presenter, whose career has spanned roles from GMTV’s Los Angeles correspondent to primetime programmes including Watchdog, admitted she previously lacked equilibrium in her life before her cancer battle.
