I now go to bed earlier than ever!'

TV presenter Julia Bradbury on health, getting outdoors and what inspires her to carry on

- ARIANA LONGSON

To say that the past few years have been challenging for Julia Bradbury would be putting it lightly. The 53-year-old's career was flourishing when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2021. Just two months later, Julia underwent a single mastectomy to remove the 6cm tumour. Now, two years later and after a huge life upheaval, she tells us, 'I don't know if there is such a thing as an all-clear,' before adding reassuringly, 'but I seem to be in reasonably good shape at the moment.' So, how does she remain so positive?

The former Countryfile presenter, who is mum to twin girls Zena and Xanthe, and son Zephyr, notes 'it's important to accept the sadness, surrender to the fact that you're not having a good day, and try and work out why'. But when it comes to finding the strength to fight - a genetic SNPs test revealed that Julia has a higher than average risk of recurrence from day to day, she gushes, 'My children keep me going, they're my biggest motivator.'

Away from her family and friends, Julia has carved out a close-knit community with her 232,000 Instagram followers, of whom she continues to share every step of her journey.

'I get inspired every day with the response I get on social media. Whether that's from the advice that I give or the stories I share, it's always really humbling,' she says.