Lauren Laverne was given the ‘all clear’ for cancer in 2024 (Picture: Euan Cherry/Getty Images)
BBC presenter Lauren Laverne has shared a statement online announcing that she’s been diagnosed with ‘smouldering myeloma’.
In November 2024, the Desert Island Discs host was given the ‘all clear’ after being diagnosed with cancer in August of the same year.
Lauren, 48, took to Instagram today with a health update, explaining to her followers she has now been diagnosed with a ‘chronic condition’.
She said: ‘I’ve been diagnosed with something called smouldering myeloma (yes that is a weird name and no I’d never heard of it either).
‘It’s an asymptomatic blood and bone marrow disorder that in some people can develop into blood cancer.’
Continuing, she wrote: ‘Thankfully for me the risk of this happening in my case is pretty low.
The BBC host presents Desert Island Discs (Picture: laurenlaverne)
‘At the moment I feel OK and don’t need treatment.
‘Most people my age who have it have no idea – it tends to be cancer survivors like me who are diagnosed early as we’re so carefully monitored.
‘It has nothing to do with my previous illness or my recent surgery, it’s just one of those things.’
Lauren explained that there is no cure and her immune system is ‘a bit compromised’. Because of the diagnosis, she’ll be monitored carefully with blood tests, MRIs and bone marrow biopsies, which she says she has ‘recently discovered are even less fun than they sound’.
Talking about her decision to share her diagnosis, the broadcaster said that ‘seeing others in the public eye cope with comparable situations has helped [her]’.
She captioned her post: ‘I call it Smouldering Mye. Sounds more like a drag queen.’
Lauren said this is the second ‘Big Problem’ her GP has caught early (Picture: Vianney Le Caer/Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Ivors)
In August 2024, Lauren announced she had been diagnosed with cancer and was recovering in hospital. She returned to work in November the same year after ‘taking some time off to get better’.
Lauren said in her most recent post that although she has had some ‘difficult experiences in the last eight years’, she has ‘learned more from them than some people do in a lifetime’.
Under her post, Lauren received well-wishes from friends and fans. Jessie Ware wrote: ‘Sending you all the love. Thank you for sharing.’
Dr Amir Khan left the note: ‘Oh Lauren sending you all the love. You are such a wonderful beautiful person. Please call me if you need anything.’
And Jamz Supernova remarked: ‘Love Lauren you always lead by example and grace. Thank you for being you. I hope you enjoy your time with fam.’
She’ll be taking a couple of weeks holiday, before returning to work as normal.
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