Edwina Bartholomew has revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer in a tearful on-air admission during Friday’s Sunrise.
The TV star, 41, broke down as she admitted, ‘I have been diagnosed with cancer.
‘Um. That’s a shock to say and hard to say,’ she continued, her voice breaking with emotion.
‘It is a really good kind. It is called chronic myeloid leukaemia. It can be treated with a daily tablet. If I can take care of myself, I will be completely fine.’
The veteran TV star then began to weep before telling the audience: ‘I thought I could keep it together.’
Edwina went on to reveal her co-star Natalie Barr was actually to thank for her getting diagnosed as quickly as she had been.
Her colleague, 56, had her own cancer scare in June after a routine skin check uncovered skin cancer on her nose.
Concerned about her own health, Edwina visited her doctor for a mammogram, blood tests and a skin check – before discovering the harrowing news.
Edwina Bartholomew, 41, has revealed she has been diagnosed with cancer in a tearful on-air admission during Friday’s Sunrise. Pictured left with co-star Natalie Barr
‘I feel very, very lucky and I wanted to share this with you for a couple of reasons,’ Edwina continued.
‘Firstly, because everyone at home and here has been here for all the wonderful times, for the engagements, and the weddings and the babies, for all of us. It felt right to share this with you too.
‘Many of you have been in similar situations or much, much worse and come out the other side stronger… and more resilient. That’s exactly what I plan to do.’
Edwina said the other reason she wished to share her sad news was because she wanted to encourage others to prioritise their health as well.
‘Please, particularly for mums who always take care of everyone else, please take care of yourself too. And just check in with your doctor,’ she said.
The TV star broke down as she admitted on-air: ‘I have been diagnosed with cancer. I thought I could keep it together’
The Seven star found out about her shock diagnosis in July and kept it secret from the public, telling only a few friends at work.
She thanked all her co-stars for their support, singling out Natalie in particular ‘for constantly checking in and [providing] all the meals as well’.
Edwina then nodded her head to colleagues Monique Wright and Sally Bowrey ‘who shuffle around their family commitments so I could take care of mine’.
After thanking her bosses at Sunrise, Edwina revealed to viewers that she will be ‘taking time off in September’ before cutting down on her work at Sunrise.
The former Dancing With The Stars co-host said she will knock her work responsibilities down to just a few days a week at Sunrise when she returns.
‘Despite appearances, I feel really positive about it. It genuinely is the luckiest unlucky thing to ever happen to me,’ she assured viewers.
‘I’m just beyond grateful I found it, and beyond grateful it’s the best-case scenario.’
Edwina went on to reveal her co-star Natalie Barr was actually to thank for getting diagnosed as quickly as she had been. Pictured with fellow Seven star Kylie Gillies
An empathetic Natalie held Edwina’s hand during her announcement.
‘First of all, we’re really sorry you’ve had to go through this, but as you say, the treatment is kind of a good one. Explain it to us,’ Natalie said.
Edwina pulled herself back together and explained: ‘We’re so lucky. Literally I can take a daily tablet. My life expectancy doesn’t change.
‘I just do need to take care of myself and rest. We are unbelievably lucky to have access to that in this country, and that that’s the kind [of cancer] I have.
‘Also, I’ve reacted really well to the medication so far which is fantastic. I have no side effects.
‘I also had no symptoms, which is why I wanted to give that health warning at all. I didn’t have anything.’
Edwina went on to say chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) often doesn’t present symptoms, but can become very serious if left untreated.
Edwina was so concerned about her own health after Natalie found skin cancer on her nose that the TV presenter went for a health check-up where she discovered the harrowing news
Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington jumped in with his own words of support, saying: ‘Eddie… like everything you approach, you’ve taken this so positively.
‘I know it’s a strange thing to say that, but you did. You reached out to us personally. You told us this journey you’re about to go on yourself.
‘The positivity that you bring along with it is the best cure you’re going to get. Because you do it in such an amazing way.
‘We’re right behind you and we always will be, and I know that so many of our viewers as well are right behind you.’
Thanking Shirvo, 45, for his kind words, Edwina reiterated that she felt really ‘lucky’ and ‘grateful’ to have her ‘work family’ there to support her.
Sports reporter Mark Beretta was the last to voice his support to Edwina, assuring his co-star that she could always call on him whenever she needed.
‘The importance of having people around you too is really good. You have lots of us to call on. We’re here for you,’ the journalist, 58, said.
Shirvo added: ‘Please do. I know it’s often just said, but anything we can do, always [call].’
Edwina reflected that it has been a ‘strangely joyous time’ being able to call old friends and family members to catch up as she shares her cancer diagnosis.
‘There you go, that’s my news this morning,’ Edwina finished with a chuckle as she tried to stay upbeat.
The Seven star found out about her shock diagnosis in July and kept it secret from the public, telling only a few friends at work. Pictured at the Logie Awards last month
As Sunrise cut to an advert, Natalie rushed to Edwina’s side and pulled her in for a tight hug, while Shirvo called for a ‘group hug’ between them all.
‘Love you, Eddie,’ he said as Mark joined him and Natalie in squeezing Edwina close.
Edwina’s tearful news soon attracted dozens of messages from well wishers.
‘All of the love and hugs, Eddie – we’re with you,’ wrote The Project’s Georgie Tunny.
‘You got this queen,’ commented TV presenter Jacqueline Felgate.
‘Sending so much love Eddy xxx,’ added Erin Holland.
Meanwhile, a Sunrise viewer was devastated by the news.
‘I am still crying. What a shock,’ the fan began.
‘My 17 [year old] son came running in asking why I was crying. Eddie we love you. You’ve got this and we’ve got you!
‘Sending much love to you and your immediate and extended family. What an amazing strong woman you are.
‘Always thought as such but you just reinforced why I and so many know this. Take care Eddie. You are loved.’
‘Praying for you and all your family as they support you,’ wrote another.
Edwina’s tearful news soon attracted dozens of messages from well wishers
According to Mayo Clinic, CML is an uncommon type of cancer in the bone marrow and is very slow to progress.
Various symptoms can occur, such as bone pain, fatigue, fever, weight loss, blurry vision and loss of appetite among others.
Edwina revealed she suffered very little of these symptoms, with the main being fatigue which she put down to waking up at 3am each day for work.
Advances in treatment have improved the prognosis of people with CML and most people diagnosed with it can achieve remission and live for many years.
Following Edwina’s announcement on Sunrise, she penned an article for Seven sharing more details about her cancer diagnosis.
She admitted to fans she used to lie in interviews when asked about her lifestyle, telling interviewers she would take bike rides and stay off her mobile phone.
But Edwina confessed she rarely took care of herself at all, instead spending much of her time focusing on her children, Molly and Thomas, and husband, Neil Varcoe.
‘Then one day, my four-year-old daughter jumped on top of me, and it hurt,’ she wrote.
She said in that moment she realised it had been two years since she went to the doctor for a check-up and made sure she was healthy.
‘You can imagine all the horrific scenarios that went through my head as I cursed myself for forgetting appointments and neglecting my health,’ she said.
Edwina said her blood tests came back abnormal but it took her a month to schedule another test to double check what was wrong.
‘You know how it is; work to do, the house to clean, the laundry to do, the dinner to cook. I was busy,’ she admitted.
It was July 29 when Edwina’s doctor called and told her the official blood results were in – and it wasn’t good news.
A few days later she had a bone marrow biopsy and a few days after that she began treatments.
Edwina finished her article by once again informing fans she will be taking a lengthy holiday and then cutting her work load down to only two days at Sunrise.
‘I’m going to spend some time with my husband and wonderful little kids, Molly and Tom, genuinely going for bike rides, putting my phone away and taking some “me” time instead of just pretending,’ she concluded.
The longtime Seven star shares children Molly, four, and Thomas, two, with her husband of six years Neil Varcoe. All pictured
Edwina got her start at Sunrise when she won an internship in the mid 2000s, where she progressed from making coffees to producing the show.
For a time, she worked as a reporter at 2GB and covered the Beijing Olympics for Seven before landing a job as a reporter at Seven News.
She then made her way back to Sunrise as a Sydney correspondent in 2011 and replaced Grant Denyer as weather presenter in 2013.
Three years later, Edwina traded in her role as weather presenter and stepped into the entertainment presenter seat, also becoming a primary fill-in for news.
She then continued to work her way up the ranks, replacing Natalie as news presenter in 2021 when she took over Samantha Armytage’s co-host seat.
In March this year, Edwina replaced Jodie Speers as presenter on Sunrise Early News, which was previously known as Seven Early News.
The longtime Seven star shares children Molly, four, and Thomas, two, with her husband of six years Neil Varcoe.
Edwina told fans she will be taking some time off to spend with her family before returning to Sunrise to work only two days a week
