After being diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer in 2022 and subsequently undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, Sky Sports presenter Jo Wilson is celebrating one year of being cancer-free. The 39-year-old had her first clear PET scan last March and a year on, doctors have told her that there is “no evidence of disease” in her body.
Jo will continue to have scans for the next five years before being discharged, but for now, she’s celebrating this huge milestone after battling the disease for the last few years. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk about the incredible milestone, the presenter explained: “It’s obviously been a tough couple of years but I’m just beyond pleased to get the one-year stage.
“I know I’m definitely not out of the woods yet because I have to go in for the next five years but it definitely feels like a big milestone to reach in terms of recovery and being able to look to the future a bit more.” The mum-of-one went on to reveal that she had to wait three weeks between her scan and receiving the results, which left her mind running away from her.
She continued: “I think the hardest part is the time you wait between the scan and the results. On this occasion, I had to wait over three weeks between the scan and getting my results and that is just the hardest three weeks ever, all sorts of things go through your mind.
“Obviously I always try to think as positively as possible but you can’t help but think of the worst-case scenario, you second guess everything as well, like ‘surely if it was good news, they would want to tell me straight away, so maybe it’s bad news’. When they did tell me, it did just feel like an absolute weight was lifted off of my shoulders, I just cried a lot when she said because it was just that pure relief that goes through your body,” Jo admitted.
The Scottish host credited her now three-year-old daughter Mabel for getting her through her cancer journey.
“She was one when I was diagnosed and it was nice in a way because she just didn’t have a clue what was going on because she was so young, her naivety around it, I was still just her mum, she didn’t see me as being sick,” Jo divulged.
“It was hard because I felt there were times I wasn’t able to look after her as well as I would have liked but just seeing her little face and the cuddles she would give me, she was absolutely my reason for getting up every single day, for going to my treatment.
“She was absolutely my inspiration and still is, I think the whole point of living and life is for her now.”
The Sky Sports star took part in the Race for Life at Regent’s Park over the weekend, which saw her run 10K as she was supported by her loved ones on the big day.
Speaking about her participation, Jo expressed: “The race weekend itself was just great, the atmosphere was amazing, just the whole vibe around Race For Life, it’s fun, it’s inspiring, we actually managed to raise just over £4,000 as a team.
“I said I was celebrating being one-year cancer free by doing this race, and it did feel like a celebration.”
Jo is supporting Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in partnership with Standard Life. For more information, visit raceforlife.org.