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Adele Roberts says fiancée Kate Holderness has been ‘absolute hero’ through cancer treatment

The BBC presenter said stomach cancer diagnosis ‘brought us closer than ever’

Kate Ng
Monday 20 June 2022 00:17 BST
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Adele Roberts and partner Kate Holderness at the DIVA Awards 2022 at The Waldorf Hilton Hotel
Adele Roberts and partner Kate Holderness at the DIVA Awards 2022 at The Waldorf Hilton Hotel (Nicky J Sims/Getty Images for DI)

Adele Roberts has praised her fiancée Kate Holderness for being her “absolute hero” during her journey with stomach cancer.

The BBC Radio 1 DJ revealed she was undergoing treatment for the cancer in October and had a tumour removed through surgery.

She now uses a stoma bag that attaches to her abdomen and collects her body’s waste. Roberts had also been undergoing chemotherapy.

Speaking to Hello! Magazine about her relationship with Holderness, the 43-year-old presenter said her diagnosis “brought us closer than ever”, which she admitted “sounds strange”.

“I’ve always loved Kate but since my diagnosis I’ve seen a different side to her. She’s my counsellor, my mentor and the best nurse ever.

“She helped me when I could barely walk and had to shuffle into work at Radio 1. She’s my absolute hero.”

Holderness said: “I’ve always been a timid person but Adele’s illness has unleashed a strength in me I never knew I had.”

Roberts, who appeared on the cover of Women’s Health magazine in May with her stoma bag also pictured, reflected on the day she received her diagnosis.

She said: “After a scan, the doctor broke the bad news. My first question was: ‘Am I going to die - and is it my fault?’

“I felt bad for putting Kate and my family through that, but now I know that getting cancer is nobody’s fault, and that sadly it will happen to one in two of us.”

Holderness added: “I was devastated. But I held back the tears because I didn’t want her to think that I thought she wouldn’t beat it.

“So I went into practical mode, writing down everything the doctor said.”

Roberts has documented her cancer treatment through social media and shares updates regularly with her more than 201,000 followers.

In a recent post, she said she had begun her recovery from chemotherapy.

She wrote in the caption: “I feel like I’m living in someone else’s house at the moment. My body isn’t my own.

“All bloated, sore and it won’t go to sleep at night. I do feel like I’m turning a corner though. Chemo recovery is just as brutal as the treatment itself!”

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