Adele Roberts has opened up about living with an ostomy bag and revealed she believes she has a “second chance at life” after doctors operated on her for bowel cancer.
The TV star spoke to Mail columnist Bryony Gordon for the first episode of her new podcast series, The Life of Bryony.
Bryony, 44, founder of Mental Health Mates and a marathon runner, will welcome experts and guests for the revealing new series.
The series began with an episode titled “Can You Learn to Love Your Body?”. Bryony was joined by Adele Roberts, and the pair spoke about the radio presenter’s battle with bowel cancer, along with her shock at having to have a stoma.
When Bryony asked when she first had the coloscopy bag fitted, Adele, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, explained that it is an “improved” method on her current way of using the bathroom.
The first episode of Bryony Gordon’s podcast series, which delves into health and body positivity, was released today. Renowned BBC Radio One presenter Adele Roberts.
The series began with an episode titled “Can You Learn to Love Your Body?”. Bryony was joined by Adele Roberts (pictured), where the two spoke about their battle with bowel cancer.
She said: ‘So my stoma is, lately I’ve been calling it rear-front, but it’s the way I go to the bathroom.
“It’s the new and improved way I go to the toilet. In 2021, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. I had a very large tumour on my colon. Luckily, the NHS was able to help me. I was treated and the tumour was removed.”
However, the radio host went on to explain that even though the surgery was successful, the incision had left a “huge gap” near his colon, causing his small intestine to “poke out” of his stomach to serve as a stoma.
She explained: ‘While it was healing, while they were fusing it back together, they did a little detour, took out my small intestine and brought it out through the front of my stomach.
Adele added: ‘Lots of people have stomas but mine is called an ileostomy because it’s formed by my small intestine, which now sits outside my body about two inches, if it behaves itself.
“That’s where everything I eat and drink goes now, instead of me going to the bathroom.”
Bryony urged Adele to share why she had named her stoma, Audrey, and what inspired her to create that moniker.
Adele explained that her stoma placement was done “very quickly” and she was surprised to wake up after surgery with one in place.
Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts has revealed how she is getting used to the ostomy bag “that helped save my life” following surgery to remove a tumour on her bowel.
The broadcaster, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September, posted photos of ostomy bags in different shades and asked her 154,000 Instagram followers to choose their favourite.
She said: “They didn’t know how big the tumour was so it was a bit of a surprise. They said it might pass but I wasn’t sure. So when I woke up from surgery I looked under the sheets and saw I had a stoma…”
Bryony asked, “But did they do some sort of reveal? They didn’t say, ‘Oh, by the way, Adele, when you lift up your covers, you’ll see you have an ostomy.'”
Adele replied: “When I woke up, I was alone. The first thing I thought was: thank God I’m alive. And I got through the surgery, I took off the sheets and I saw that I had a stoma.”
The radio presenter detailed her relief at having the cancer removed and how she now believes she has been given a “second chance at life”.
She said: ‘When I was diagnosed, there was a really strange moment where I felt like I had no life, and then the doctor said he could help me and I felt like I had my life back, and it was a turning point in my life.
Adele Roberts, 42, has given fans an update on her health after undergoing surgery to remove a tumour following her bowel cancer diagnosis.
The radio presenter detailed her relief at having the cancer removed and how she now believes she has been given a “second chance at life”.
‘I felt like everything was gone and then everything was back, and even though I didn’t know when I walked into that room that they were going to say that to me when I walked out, I was forever transformed in so many ways.
She added: ‘It was scary, but also at the time, I was so grateful, Bryony, for a second chance at life, and that’s how I felt.
“So when I got the stoma done, I was like, ‘This is the new me, the improved me,’ and what’s really weird is that when I was finally able to get well enough to go to the bathroom and see the stoma, see myself standing up, I felt like I was finally whole and I was me, and I finally liked the way my body looked.”
The second episode of Bryony’s Life will premiere on Monday, September 23. Listen here for all episodes.
Meanwhile, Bryony Gordon reveals what her friendship with Prince Harry and Megan Markle is really like, including who has visited her house and who has been gifted a jar of homemade jam.