Inside Trisha Goddard's gruelling cancer journey from terminal diagnosis to treatment
11 April 2025, 13:17
Talk show icon Trisha Goddard was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in 2023 after previously beating the disease.
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Trisha Goddard revealed she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer back in February 2024, 19 months after she was given the devastating news in private.
The daytime presenter, 67, who bravely signed up for Celebrity Big Brother despite battling the incurable illness, explained she wanted to keep her stage four diagnosis a secret as she was "grappling with how to deal with it herself".
After hiding it from the public for almost two years, the mother-of-two, best known for her self-titled talk show Trisha, decided to open up about her ongoing fight in a bid to prove cancer patients shouldn't be "scared of living".
Here, we take a look at the TV star's gruelling cancer journey, from her terminal diagnosis to her palliative care treatment inside the CBB house.
What type of cancer does Trisha Goddard have?
Trisha has been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer, also known as metastatic breast cancer or stage four breast cancer.
She received the tragic news in July 2022 when the disease was discovered by chance after she underwent tests following a serious fall at home.
Doctors told the talk show host they had discovered cancer cells in her right hip, which led to the grave diagnosis for which there is treatment, but no cure.
Speaking of he moment she found out, Trisha told HELLO!: "That was the first I heard that the cancer had come back. And the first thing I asked was: 'Am I going to die?'
"It's not going to go away. And with that knowledge comes grief, and fear. But I must keep enjoying what I have always enjoyed."
Tragically, Trisha had already battled breast cancer – she was first diagnosed with the disease back in 2008.
Telling Piers Morgan in 2021 of the moment she received the news, she said: "I found out with a laugh and a cry at the same time."
She underwent two operations along with a long stint of chemotherapy, which had nasty side effects.
Trisha explained: "Apparently I really reacted badly. I had an ulcerated nose.... mouth.
"I already had early onset glaucoma - a condition where the optic nerve becomes damaged - before my chemo, but the chemotherapy precipitated an eye infection that was very severe and further damaged my eyes.
"My eyes took a beating."
Despite beating cancer first time around, a decade later the illness returned and was discovered not just in her breast but in her bones.
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What cancer treatment is Trisha Goddard having?
After Trisha received her terminal diagnosis, she began treatment to manage the disease.
The mother-of-two, who shares daughters Madison, 35, and Billie, 32, with her ex-husband, was put on "full strength" chemotherapy for four and a half months along with daily radiation for three weeks.
Following the gruelling treatment, she decided to embark on "life pro-longing care" alongside regular check-ups including scans, blood tests and hormone therapy infusions.
Amazingly, Trisha has been continuing to work throughout her cancer treatment and even co-hosted Good Morning Britain alongside Richard Madeley.
Following the show, she took to social media to thank her colleagues and her medical team for making it possible.
She wrote on Instagram: "Not gonna lie….. started off a little bit nervous, but @richardmadeleyofficial and the @gmb team are just so sweet and supportive, so managed to get into my stride.
"Thanks also to Joleigh, my Hospital nurse-practitioner back in Connecticut for helping me work out how to juggle my meds to minimize side effects so I didn’t get too whacked out or floored on air!
"Shout out to all those living with serious chronic illnesses who have to learn the best ways to maximize those good energy times and plan their medications on work days through trial and error."
Trisha once described chemotherapy as a "b*tch" but also confessed it was her "new normal", along with re-learning many skills she once lost due to cancer treatment.
She added: "I had to learn how to walk again. There's certain foods I can't eat because I don't have enough saliva to swallow, and I have to put cream on every day because I get this awful rash from the drugs.
"One eye muscle kind of went, so I see double. So I have to wear corrective glasses."
Despite the horrible side effects, Trisha remained positive about her future, adding: "I'll take every drug that they give me. I'm very fortunate.
"I grew up in East Africa – people die of a flipping common cold there you know!"
Is Trisha having treatment in the Celebrity Big Brother house?
Trisha made history by becoming the first Celebrity Big Brother contestant to receive cancer treatment in the house, revealing she would be taking in "a bag full of meds".
When quizzed about how she would be able to manage the disease while taking part in the reality show, she revealed her oncologist was working closely with the production team to make it happen.
She told The Mirror: "So my oncologist is my biggest cheerleader and is working with the Big Brother team. I've got a special therapist who's happy to work with the medic on the show. My palliative care team - and when I say that word, everybody screams and runs away, but it's symptom treatment - is working with the team here too.
"And then when it comes to my treatment, I had one infusion on Monday, so I've got to jump on a plane and go straight back to have the next one as soon as the show is over. I’ve got a bag full of meds that I normally have, which will be with me in the house. So my oncologist has planned my treatment around the production schedule."
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