Lauren Laverne, Princess of Wales and more on how cancer changed their lives

Being told you have cancer is a life-changing diagnosis, and one that often makes people think deeply about their lives. While the disease can be devastating, for some people it can lead to positive life changes. According to MacMillan Cancer Support, it can help focus your mind on what is important to you.

Most recently, BBC presenter Lauren Laverne revealed she has been given the "all clear" after receiving treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, adding that she has had time to think about "what really matters" in life.

Laverne is far from the only celebrity to reflect on what the experience of cancer has taught them, with the Princess of Wales and former Olympian Sir Chris Hoy also speaking out about how their perspectives have changed during their journey with the disease.

Here’s everything Laverne, Kate and other celebrities who have experienced cancer have said:

Lauren Laverne: 'I now see more beauty in ordinary things'

Lauren Laverne shared a post on her Instagram account on Sunday 24 November to let her fans know she has been given the "all clear" after getting treatment for cancer. She said she feels "more than ever that the small things in life - the connections we make and care we take with each other - are the big things really".

"It’s been a difficult time but one that has taught me so much about what really matters," the broadcaster wrote in her post. "I can’t say I suddenly regretted never having hiked the Inca Trail, more that I now see more beauty in ordinary things than I could have imagined."

The Princess of Wales: 'Be grateful for the simple yet important things in life'

In September, Kate said she had completed her chemotherapy treatment for cancer, after announcing in March that she had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of the disease. She released a video showing her spending time with the Prince of Wales and their children, George, Charlotte and Louis, and spoke about how it’s been a difficult year for the Royal Family.

However, the tough experience gave her a new perspective on life. She said in her statement: "The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything. This time has above all reminded William and me to reflect and be grateful for the simple yet important things in life, which so many of us often take for granted. Of simply loving and being loved."

Chris Hoy: 'Our time on this planet is finite'

Sir Chris Hoy announced in October that he has terminal cancer, after being diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. In a BBC documentary released earlier this month, the former Olympic champion said that his "perspective on life has changed massively" as a result of his experience.

"I know what the end result will be. Nobody lives forever," he said in the documentary Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope. "Our time on this planet is finite. Don’t waste your time worrying about stuff that isn’t that important. Focus on the things that are important, focus on your family, the people in your life. Do that thing that you’ve always planned to do one day, why not do it today?" He added that he is "more thankful, more grateful for each day".

Amy Dowden: 'Go grab life'

Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has openly shared her cancer diagnosis and treatment milestones since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023. She underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy and in February, announced she has "no evidence of the disease" following tests. She returned to Strictly this year, but was forced to quit early after suffering a foot injury.

Speaking to the BBC in August, Dowden was asked what she would say to her past self before she received the diagnosis. She said she would tell her past self to "go grab life". "Nikki, a remarkable young lady in her 30’s who I connected to online, unfortunately passed away from breast cancer during my treatment last year," Dowden recalled. "She always said 'go grab life' and that’s what she did.

"I’m determined to live by her motto. I’ve learned having my hair, my eyebrows, my eyelashes stripped away from me. I gained two stone in weight, I was on steroids, chemo, broken foot - you name it - and I’ve learned that appearance really doesn’t matter. Your soul shines through. I was stripped bare and still accepted. I’ve learnt to love and appreciate every single moment even more in life."

Victoria Derbyshire: 'I want to embrace everything'

BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2015. She committed to reporting her experience and documented her single mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and reactions in the hopes of "demystifying" the disease.

In an interview with The Guardian in 2017, she opened up about how cancer gave her a "sense of perspective that means I’m not wasting any time on pointless anxieties, annoying people or on things that go slightly wrong - it’s all fine".

"I’ve always lived life to the full but now I’m squeezing life out of every second. I want to spend more time with family and friends - they’re the most important part of my life," she added. "But I’m saying yes to more things. I want to embrace everything."

Dame Deborah James: 'There’s never a time where you take things for granted'

The late Dame Deborah James, also known under her campaigning name Bowelbabe, spoke frequently about how having bowel cancer changed her life. Before she died at the age of 40 in 2022, James campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of bowel cancer and cancer in young people.

In a video message for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, she said: "There’s never a time where you take things for granted, because you can’t. You have as much fun as you possibly can, when you can and when you’re feeling well enough to do it, because you know that there’s tough days around the corner. I try as hard as I can to do the things that used to make me happy and still make me happy. I still like getting my hair done, throwing two parties in the space of three days… Just because I have cancer doesn’t mean I’m going to stop doing that."

Read more about cancer:

• How to care for yourself while supporting loved ones with cancer (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)

• 'I have UK's most common cancer – I ignored four symptoms that were stage 4 disease' (SurreyLive, 3-min read)

• Woman with UK's most common cancer ignored four symptoms before stage 4 diagnosis (GloucestershireLive, 3-min read)