Jo Wilson endured the traumatic experience of being told her cancer had returned this year, despite the Sky Sports News presenter having been given the all clear years earlier
Jo Wilson is aiming to raise awareness after receiving an incorrect cancer diagnosis
Sky Sports News presenter Jo Wilson has opened up about the emotional impact it has had on her upon receiving a second, incorrect cancer diagnosis, just three years after being declared all clear following her year‑long battle with stage three cervical cancer. The 41-year-old has documented her journey with the disease.
She was first diagnosed in June 2022 after a routine smear test, which led to her undergoing life‑saving radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment. Wilson produced a documentary highlighting football figures who had also faced cancer battles titled ‘Football, Cancer and Me,’ which was released in November 2025.
On Tuesday, Wilson took to Instagram to raise awareness after being told this year that her cancer had returned. In a touching post where she shared several photos from the hospital, she wrote: “A little life update, please read until the end (red heart emoji).
“In February, after my three-year scan, I was told my cancer had returned in a lymph node. I couldn’t believe it – it felt like my whole world had crumbled all over again. But after being referred to the high-dose radiotherapy team, one consultant questioned whether the diagnosis was actually correct.
“What followed were five months of tests, scans, waiting and uncertainty before, last week, I finally got the news I’d been desperately hoping for: it wasn’t cancer after all. The lymph node is now thought to be a benign neuroma – a cluster of nerves that was likely inflamed at the time of my original scan. The relief was indescribable, but so too is the emotional toll from the last five months, believing – then not knowing if my cancer had returned.
“Living with that uncertainty was incredibly hard. On the outside, life carried on – I worked, was being a mum, played (lots of) padel, spent time with friends and family, and smiled for photos. But underneath it all, I was carrying something very heavy, and there were times I found myself in some very dark places.
“So why am I sharing this? Firstly, because we often talk about being ‘cancer free’, but I’m not sure any of us ever truly feel free of it. The fear of recurrence can stay with you long after treatment ends, and I think it’s important we talk about that reality. If you’re someone living beyond a cancer diagnosis, please know you’re not alone.”
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The presenter continued: “Secondly, because social media is never the full picture. The last few months on here have probably looked like lots of happy moments, lovely places and time with people I love – and those moments were all real. But they existed alongside this. Instagram is a highlight reel, not the whole story.
“And finally, because we never really know what someone else is carrying. A friend, a colleague, the person serving you coffee or standing next to you in the supermarket – they could be fighting a battle you know nothing about. So this is simply a reminder to be kind. Always (red heart emoji). Thank you to my incredible support network, you know who you are.”
In her documentary, Wilson revealed that the diagnosis had changed her life ‘in an instant’, coming just shortly after the birth of her daughter Mabel.
“It hit me like a truck,” she said. “I did wonder if I’m going to die. I’d prepared myself for the worst, I think you have to.
“I actually didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to put it on anyone. If one person can see this and make a phone call to the doctor because something doesn’t feel right, then it’s worth talking about.”
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She underwent daily radiotherapy, weekly chemotherapy and three days of invasive internal brachytherapy across a five‑week period. It meant being separated from her daughter, a period she described as the ‘darkest’ phase of her illness.
The broadcaster, who joined Sky Sports in 2011, has urged women to book their cervical smear test in light of her own cancer diagnosis. Around one in 130 women in the UK will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in their lifetime, yet one in three do not attend their smear test.
“I must raise awareness,” she previously said. “I want people to talk about what’s stopping them from going to their tests.
“Is it finding time? Is it embarrassment? Whatever support you need, or why you ever haven’t gone for a smear – go and be tested. I promise you, it’s far better than going through cancer.”
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