Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - Jessie J: The Year That Changed Everything

Episode Date: October 6, 2026

We’re revisiting one of Claire’s all-time favourite Just As Well conversations: her honest, funny and deeply moving interview with Jessie J. Jessie talks Claire through the year that changed everything, including her 2025 breast cancer diagnosis — finding the lump, getting the call, surgery and recovery — and what it means to keep showing up while raising her son. She also reflects on early fame, lifelong health challenges, grief, and her adult diagnoses of ADHD and OCD, sharing the tools that help her feel grounded when life gets loud. Full of Jessie’s trademark humour and candour, this is a powerful conversation about resilience, perspective and choosing to live out loud. If you’ve been affected by anything discussed in this episode, consider reaching out to someone you trust or a professional support service in your country. Host: ⁠Claire Sanderson⁠ #JessieJ #JustAsWell #Podcast #BreastCancer #WomensHealth #ADHD #MentalHealth #Motherhood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Luxury sales claim based on S&P Global Mobility Canadian New Vehicle Total Registrations for Calendar year 2025 for the Cadillac definition of luxury. So this episode of Jess as well is coming out to doing Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And there's one episode that we previously recorded. There was such an important listen. I wanted to revisit it. Jessie J. joined me on this sofa in January and discussed her battle with breast cancer, one that she fought in her 30s.

It's a really, really essential listen. She talks about the importance of chestnuteless. checking your breasts. She talks in such frank detail about the process she went through after being diagnosed and then even performing a show and delaying her surgery. Such was her commitment to her career and her fans. She talked about her overwhelming desire to live for her young son. She even sang to me and I wanted to cry listening to her story. It's such, such a wonderful If you have listened to it before, revisit it with me. If you haven't, you're in for a treat and please do enjoy.

She's one of the most distinctive voices of her generation, a global hitmaker. Whose songs have top charts in 20 countries from Do It Like a Dude, Price Tag and Bang Bang and Domino. But behind the superstardom is a woman who has lived through dizzy and success, industry pressure, personal loss and most recently, a breast cancer diagnosis. 2025 was supposed to be Jessie's big musical return. Instead, it became the year she confronted the most intense challenge of her life, all while raising her son, rebuilding her health, and redefining what it means to heal publicly. Jessie J joins us here in London today to talk about her journey so far,

the highs, the heartbreaks, the hopes and what can's next? Oh, that was lovely. Oh, well. The first few lines I was looking around to see if it was. I was like, I've called it this can't be me. But yes, that was lovely. And thank you so much for coming in to see us today. Thanks for having me.

Hot off the heels off your woman's health cover. So we shot. And you've seen it and I haven't. Yeah, I have. It's a goodie. You like it? I do like it. It's one of my favourite shoots, I think.

It's so cool. Yeah, because it's so cool. But so you, I thought, as well. I love the location and the vibe. And it's an honour that you chose to speak to women's health because you really have been through such a tough year this year with your cancer diagnosis and we will come on to that

but let's not start there I want to take you right back to the Brits school you're at the Brits school with Adel because I was with respect I feel like you've been around a long time Oh for sure 100%

Yeah you're and but you were famous really quite young so take us back to those very early days when you were at the Brits school with Adele you got your first record deal there what was it like Well I wasn't when I say

at the Brits school with Adel I wasn't like me and Adele weren't like best mates or in the same class. We basically would like we probably sang together twice about 10 minutes on two occasion over like two years. It wasn't like we were best friends. Obviously she's just become hugely massively successful. And I got nominated for a Brit award 15 years ago. But I loved the Brit school.

It was such a like it was just a really unique time to discover who I was as an artist. and obviously I went there from the age of 16 to 18 while I was there I audition for the girl band that inevitably a few years later got me my first ever record deal kind of with the jumping pads but like it was just I did musical theatre I wasn't in music, Adele was in music

and I just loved it but yeah I was so young because you were actually on the West End stage much younger when you were nine of them have my first every professional job was I was think I was eight or nine and I did inherit the wind with Larry Lamb at the King's Head

Theatre in Islington and then my first big big role was playing brat in Whistled Down the Wind that Angela-Odeweber show at the Aldwich Theatre in Holborn and I did that for two years goodness me and how old are you then?

From 9 to 11 9 to 11 Is that every night? No no no they have three teams because they alternate because obviously you can't do that much work when you're that young so I would go and do like Thursday, Friday

and then have Saturday Sunday and then some weeks I'd do more and then less it was I can't remember but the first time round I was in purple team I think and the second time I was in chickpea. So funny isn't I remember. There was like the three groups it was like green, blue and purple and the second time I did it was like chickpea lentil and like I don't know green bean. I can't even remember but I was a chickpea. I get why they called them colours. I don't get why they

called them grey. I think they just ran out of like and then people would get offended if they were reused so I think they just had to come up with different names but it was the best time ever I made some of my closest friends there. So you knew from a really young age this is what wanted to do. Oh yeah. I love to sing. I love to dance. I love to make up shows. You know, you put like the name tags on the sofa. Like everyone sit down. Me and my sisters were like put on shows. I just, I loved making people feel happy. It's one of the clearest memories I have of being a kid. I just loved making people laugh, making people cry, but like through something entertaining. Like I really remember that vividly. But do you come from a stage school family then?

or you're the only performer. Both my sisters did drama. Yeah. They wanted to be actresses. And they both did like uni. They did acting and like English. But my mum was a nursery nurse. My dad's a mentor of social worker.

So he's, my dad's definitely the more extrovert of the family. Like he's very funny and like very much uses comedy and his therapy. But we're a very loud like comical family. But I wouldn't say that anyone else. wanted to sing. My granddad, well,

my dad's dad was a professional jazz drummer. So we had like music and like entertainment like in the energy of our family but we're not a stage family now.

So Do It Like a Dude was your first big hit. Was it your debut hit or your first big hit? Yeah. So it was the first, no, I actually think Casuity of Love was the first song ever released

but that was in the US. But Do It Like A Do It was the first global single. Yeah. And that was the first digital release ever. Isn't that mad? So I was like the little digital guinea pig. You were the first digital release artist I don't know if it's worldwide or UK

It might have been worldwide Don't fact check maybe fact check that But yeah it was like one of the first ones Especially in the UK And yeah Do it like a dude was the one Obviously I'd put loads of stuff on YouTube And big people had heard

Mama knows best and Big White Room and Rainbow And all those songs that actually ended up being on my album But yeah That was the first song So when was that? What year was that? Oh we put that in 2010 So how did it feel to go from being relatively unknown to one of the biggest female pop stars in the UK?

It was an experience that you can never prepare for. And honestly, recently having a baby, I said to my mum, it reminds me of that feeling of like something completely new that you can kind of read about, like I would read about other people, like becoming famous, whatever. But until you experience it, it's so unique to you, even though other people have gone through it.

So I remember very clearly when Price-Tay came out, and obviously that was the song that just went everywhere. And I remember coming out of my house, and I was on the billboard next to my house. I got in the car and I was on the video on the back of the screen. I was on the front of the newspaper. And I was just like, oh my gosh, like I'm never going to be able to do the things that I did

that got me to be the person I am now. So that was when I had a bit of a freak out But I loved it But like being chased by paparacta It's not really a thing anymore But back then it was That was mental But I also loved it

I loved feet like connecting with people As I do now But yeah being going from being like I remember going walking around Westfield And me and my friends would be like Let's count how many people We think we'll recognise you And it went from like three people

To like a hundred people In a matter of weeks And how do you? And how did the novelty wear off quite quickly or did you, if you were young? I've always been quite grounded. Yeah. So I feel like I've always kind of tried to like my anxiety, like as in my personality. And obviously I was not long ago diagnosed ADHD.

I definitely think that that kind of spiraled. Hmm. But I definitely tried to constantly communicate with myself, the people around me, to make sure that I could consistently live for someone. what of a normal life, even though other people treated me so differently. That's the key. Because you mentioned you compared it to the feeling of when you had your baby and it's the unknown.

I do remember myself when I was pregnant with my eldest at about eight months pregnant thinking, what have I done? My life is never going to be the same again. You don't understand how it is. I remember when I first gave birth, I just went, this is like relentless magic. because it's like as much as it's everyone wants a good thing and everyone like wants to eat a bit of cake

but it's like you don't want to eat cake 24 hours a day and that's kind of what having a baby is it's like this beautiful thing that you love but you're like can I just have a glass of war and a break you know and it's that feeling of going it's the most incredible thing I remember someone said to me like what's it like having a baby and I was like honestly it's the most incredible thing

but you've got a sore throat you know like when you're having the best day of your life but you've got a sore throat It's like amazing, but you're just a bit like, can I just sit down? And unless you experience that, I do think it's really hard to like understand like that direct feeling. The reality of your life. If I take you back to price tag, that was number one in numerous countries.

Yeah, loads of places. Yeah. 20 or countries. Oh, I don't ever remember things like that. It's a bit cringe for me. Yeah. Not that you can know, but I just, I don't ever hold on stuff like that. But I know it went number one in a lot of places.

Where was the most random? who knows I remember just being like I mean at the time I didn't even know half the countries existed you know

I was just like where's that and where's that and it's number one there and number one here and da-da-da I remember just being so proud though like

thinking like like places like Taiwan that I'd only ever like seen on TV and I didn't even think that I'd ever visit there it was number one there and I was just like

that's so cool because you wrote it I was 21 yeah I did with Claude Kelly and Dr Luke so it's really is the product of

your mind. I mean, I've pretty much written everything apart from Bang Bang Masterpiece. That that third album I didn't write much of, but everything else. Like the Rose album, this most recent, the first one, alive, that's all me. Yeah. And where did that school come from? Is something you learned to the British school or were you writing songs? I also, I always loved writing poems. When I was younger, like everyone else would be playing like Tamagocchi's and conquers and marbles and like Furbys and I was in the back like, what is beautiful? Why is there war? Like I was that kid, like the emo kid in the back, you know, I was a bit of a tomboy, didn't really know where to fit in, I was always ill, my things really changed.

You know, I was just always in the back writing poems and I think those just, when I discovered I could sing when I was about 10, I was like, I'm going to start writing songs. And I wrote this song on the piano, I can't remember if that goes now. I notice, it's not always best. I'm just not so happy. I just need a rest. You may not understand why I am leaving, but I will understand why you're not grieving.

I wrote that when I was 10 about leaving my dance school. How intense is that? It's quite deep for, yeah. My daughter's 10. I can't imagine that. No, yeah, I was a bit, I was, I was the class clown, but I was a big empath, and that is literally me now. Like, I am so down for a deep, meaningful, really serious.

serious connected conversation, but like take me to a comedy club any day. So you've got this sort of contradiction in your personality? That is my dad. That's how we were all raised. So you mentioned that you're always ill when you were a child. You have had serious major health challenges intertwined with the success. Which makes it all the more remarkable in my opinion. So you may can explain what some of these are, Wolf Parkinson-White Syndrome? So my dad and my granddad both have it.

And when I was nine, we were in Epping Forest and my dad said, right, everyone raced to the car. And we all started running and I just went, and I couldn't breathe. I literally felt like my heart had stopped. And I went, my dad and my sisters both said, I went completely white, white and pale, even more white than I'm now.

Believe that. Fluorescent beige. And I just fell to the floor and I had a seizure. And I was taken into hospital. And that's when it all started when I was nine of like the ablation. I was in and out of Great Woman Street a lot. I'd have like heart monitor. as attached to my chest for weeks on end.

I'd be in and out of hospital with like an IV drip and then I'd go into rehearsals for playing blousey and bugsy Malone. But it was my normal. I think that for some reason I do feel that people think that people that are successful and famous that don't have stuff like that. It's almost that makes it more like, can you believe it? And I think that's why even most recently getting diagnosed of breast cancer, like it didn't scare me.

And also I am used to facing like, difficult health challenges alongside living what is a very unnormal, incredible, blessed life. So, but yeah, I got diagnosed with Malthar Puckus and White and I was nine. My goodness me. And then I had a stroke when I was 17.

But I never get like diarrhea. It's major. No, it's always like, how can I get attention this week? No, I remember I had a minor stroke when I was working in Hamleys. I did nail jazz. So if you ever need a snowman or leopard print on your pinky, girl I am the person to call. Oh so you weren't one of the ones who stand up the front door of Hamleys.

No, doing like the magic drawing board. That's how my sister and her husband met when she was 19 and they're still married now. Isn't that quite cool? So I was working in Hamleys and I was like something felt weird and I got pins and needles on my hand and yeah and my face dropped and I went to the, I got all the way home on the train. I don't know how I did but I did and I went to the doctor and she said, I think you've had a minor stroke. I'm going to call an ambulance and I was in hospitals for weeks and I was in a girl band at the time.

and then I got my first record deal a year later, you know, and then I started writing songs and then I flew to America. And I kind of had a good stint for a while. And then I got diagnosed of endometriosis and adenamosis, and I went through the whole fertility being told I needed a hysterectomy. That was when I was 26 or 25. Meneer's disease?

Meneas, that was 2021 or 2020. So Meneas is where salt builds up in your ear. Tank also has Meneer's disease. Yeah. And so I have to have a low salt diet now. And I've lost 25% of my hearing in this ear. So, yeah, it was awful. That was at Christmas and it was the most trippy thing

because it gives you severe vertigo. So I get really bad vertigo on airplanes. Goodness. So if anyone ever sees me on a flight and I've got a blanket over my head, it's not because I'm rude. It's because I'm terrified. And I don't want to have a panic attack.

It's a credited appearance for not wrapping you up in cotton wool when you were young and a teenager going through these really serious health challenges, yeah, allowing you to go off and live your dreams. Honestly, I talk about it to my mum all the time. So I had a health scare with Sky when I was pregnant. So in America, they do this like gene test with bloods when you, obviously, it's all

private healthcare there. And so I lived there when I was pregnant for the first five months. And it was 800 genes they checked for. And albeit, even though we do have a lot of other things in common, me and my partner, I had the same gene. So we were told that my son could possibly have this gene, which was actually really severe. And that he would be severely disabled.

who may not live that long. It turned out that it wasn't that gene in the end. But we went through this big ordeal and had to go and do, I can't remember what it's called now, but they put a needle into the. Amnestateesis. Yeah, so we were going to do that. And I phoned my mum and I just said,

I know that I don't, because they were, they, some people were saying that we should have bought, and this was about 10 weeks. I've never spoken about this. And it wasn't that big a deal at the time, but in the sense of I never thought I would never do that. And I spoke to my mum and she said, if someone sent me a list of all the things that you've had,

never in my wildest dreams would I think that you would have achieved what you have. If someone said to me, you're going to have a baby that has a heart disease, a stroke by 17, Meneas disease, endometriosis, adenamiosis, gets breast cancer. She's like, I would never have got, I would have probably have gone, should I put this child through this life? And she was like, you're the most joyful person. and throughout all of it, and I would never have it any other way.

And I was like, oh my goodness, me. And even though I knew I was never, it wasn't even in question. I was never, I would have had that, I was going to have Sky, whatever. And obviously he's perfect. But that just put everything in perspective to me. It's like, you just never know, do you? You just never know. I feel quite emotional listening to that.

Your mother's incredible, isn't she? She's the best. And you know what I say all the time? Like, I truly believe that all this health, I get upset and emotional about it now, because I'm like I relive what I went through as a child with my mum sitting next to my bed and I would always be like she's still here.

I'd wake up after having like a seizure with my heart disease because I was on very strong medication that used to make me pass out and have seizures and it was just oh and I ended up coming off of all of it because of the side effects and she'd be in the chair asleep and I'd be like mum go home and she'd be like I'm not leaving you and now I'm like

oh my goodness I can't even imagine if that was sky So like I relive all of it now And I'm just like Oh she's the best And even now the day I got diagnosed A breast cancer my mum moved into my house Yeah Your, it's clear where your resilience comes from

Yeah my parents are another level They've been married for 46 years I get upset They're just like best friends They just like They just enjoy life Like my dad's been sick My mum's been sick

Like we've just But they just show up They're just, and their communication and humor and like Essex, man. You know what I mean? It's all in there. I'm just so grateful. Like, they're always looking on the silver lining. So that's how me and my sisters are.

Because your mum's very hands-on with Sky. She is. Well, it's just me and my partner and my mum. We don't have a nanny or any extra kind of additional help beyond that. But my mum doesn't live with us or she pops down every now and again. Like she's with us now because I'm busy. But usually it's just me and my partner. but she's just the best and she was a nursery nurse for many many years so she's like oh i just

made some play-dough and i'm like sure like she's like he's he wanted to make biscuits so i made him some sweet potato rosemary biscuits and i'm like okay like she's i'm like has santa claus called you yet to come back like she's literally mrs claus she's the best man like my mom's the quiet little my dad's the labrador my mom's the black cat but my mom's the most sweetest like you'll be like oh I really fancy like a I don't know I'm really craving a jackie potato and I'll get home from work

and I smell jacked potatoes goodness she's just that she's just so so thoughtful and kind do you rent her out no honestly everyone that I know that like

maybe doesn't have the best relationship with their mum or whatever like everyone calls her mom that's like close to her she's just like the baby whisperer she's just the sweetish she's just like a little she's just I love her so much

My mum's no longer with us and listening to that. Yeah, she passed away last year with Alzheimer's. And she was, when she was an ill, because the final few years were quite awful with Alzheimer's. But she too was so hands-on with the grandkids. So cherish your mum. Oh, I do. Trust me, I do. And time is precious.

Time is so precious, man. And I really don't take it for granted. It's one of the things that I'm actually probably the most anxious about. And I remember me and my mum, crazy, We had a conversation in my kitchen. We talk about it all the time. And I said to her, we're so lucky as a family. We've had no cancer in the family.

And she was like, you know, it's one in two people now. And she went, so either I've got it or you've got it. And I found my lump the next day. Isn't that crazy? And she got so upset. She said, I wish it was me. It shouldn't be you. And I was like, Mom, I can get through this.

I'm glad it's not you. Like, you're nearly 70. If anyone can, you bloody can. I mean, who knew? I didn't know if I was going to. but I won't go down without some laughs and some fun. But we had Leanne Hainsby from Peloton on this podcast and she had breast cancer.

Yeah. And she said that when she went for her initial appointment, the cancer nurse took her, took her to one side and said, this is a mental game. She said, yes, the doctors can do physically what they can to help you through this, but you need to get your mental game. No, it is definitely a mental game. And also because you can't, I'm a control freak, right?

I don't deny it. and when you like if something's going wrong at work I can fix it if a light bulb needs changing I can do it if dinner needs making in five minutes I'm there but when you've got something in your body that could be eat like literally eating you're alive and you can't do anything about it and you have to go to someone else that you've just met at speed and go can you try and get this out my body

and they just put you just like that's the bit that you're just like oh my god but like a trust needed there and oh my good but honestly I also like I had to laugh I have to laugh and I'm that person that will try and make light of the darkest situations. And I never forget my mammogram. Honestly, because I've got tiny little sandbag boobs, especially after Sky. And she was like, can you put it in the machine? I was like, girl, she was like just a bit more.

I've got nothing else. Yeah, because they literally just sound like that. Yeah. It was like a yogurt covered apricot being shut in a fridge door. And she was like a bit more. And I was like, I literally, and we were crying laughing. I was actually holding onto the machine like this. And she was like, hold still.

And I was like, girl, this boob is about to slip out. but I just had to laugh and also like believe that I do believe that if you believe that you're going to, it's going to go bad your body will create more negativity inside of it. So if it was going to go bad

I was going to be positive about that and if it wasn't going to be bad I was going to be positive about that I just wanted to be positive. Take me to the moment where you found the lump were you checking yourself or did you literally just brush and thought there's something weird.

No, and it's now I was actually talking to some girls in my team about it earlier that I feel like I had some change on my nipple and I'd actually shown it to my GP and she's like no it looks fine and it was fine it wasn't that bad but I remember it always it was quite itchy and again you don't know if that's like I'd just been on holiday and I was like did I get sunburn or whatever but no I was asleep with my hand like this and and I was asleep like this and I woke up and I was like oh what's that because I've got very small boobs so I was like what's that and I was feeling it and

I woke up my partner and I said I've just found this lump and it was literally, I want to say, it was like the 17th of March, like mid-March, and I was just like... Was it hard? It was hard, and it was probably about that big. So about so it depends piece. Yeah, and I was just like, oh, okay, let me go and have a lot.

And he said, go and see someone, but I just moved back to England after 10 years in L.A. So I just hadn't built, like I've got my GP here that I've had for years, but I haven't, and I literally just went online and went boob doctor on Harley Street just to get an appointment quickly. managed to get an appointment for the Monday, that was the Friday,

went to see somebody, and obviously they were like, we can feel the lump, but we can't see it in an ultrasound and everything looks normal. And I was like, okay, well, what do I do now? And they're like, well, we'll send you for a mammogram.

And I said, yeah, I've got pins and needles in my hand when I wake up every day. Like, my chest, I always had to do this because it was achy. And again, that might not have nothing to do with it. And they were like, well, we can do a biopsy if you want to. And I was just like, I just feel like I should. And I am someone that has to act on my instinct because I've got this weird energy thing where it's like, if I think it or feel it, it's quite likely to happen.

And I just knew I'm terrified of needles and I will avoid anything to like not have to do stuff. But I was like, no, I think I need to do a biopsy. And they're like, okay, well, we can put you one in, but it will be fine. There won't be anything there. So then they send me for the biopsy. And that came in on the 28th. So it was the day after my birthday. So I turned 37 on the 27th.

The next morning I went and had it done. And I documented it. I've actually got loads of videos that I want to put together and put out. So I think it would just be interesting for people to see. So I went and had, I think they did two or three biopsies. And obviously it's quite a big needle. And they numb the area. They put it in and they kind of snatch a bit of skin.

And then she said to me, if it's not good news, I'll phone you on Monday. And that was on the Friday. And she texts me saying, can I zoom with you at C. This was at half four and I was like, yeah, yeah, thinking it won't be anything. She's not going to tell me on Zoom. Yeah, and she said, I'm really sorry, but you've got breast cancer. Yeah. What was going through your mind in that moment?

Well, the first thing I thought, I literally phoned my mum and I went, okay, well, I'm really busy. And when you're in work mode as well, like Jesse Jay, I'd switch back on from being in pajamas for a long time with my son. And I was just in a bit like, stealth mode. And I was like, right. Okay, life, this is our next thing. And I said to my mom, I cannot die because Sky needs me. That's not an option. So let's do this.

Like that was literally how I kind of took it on. And obviously I was upset and I cried and I had a very normal human reaction. But I was laughing. Even I filmed the face times. You can't hear him. But I can see myself laughing. And my mum just going on for God's sake, really making a joke. But I was like, that's how I get through it.

And the only thing that I remember that was difficult mentally is, well is that you don't know how bad it is and then you learn all this stuff about how many breast cancer types there are and you have to do the genetic testing and this and whether I needed a double mastectomy or just one and then I went for the mammogram after my biopsy had told me that I had cancer and that was clear so if I'd have gone for the mammogram who knows so it would have been in you get if you hadn't then insist enough enough they would have just said actually no it's all clear and then I went for an MRI yeah and that was I mean anyone that's had a breast umri I don't know if you've had one but you lay on your

front with your arms up and you have to be really still and you put your boobs into like a little hole and they inject you of dive your boobs are hanging down I mean mine weren't really let's be honest mine would be swinging but I'm not swinging at all

they barely reach the bucket really at this point yeah I say a bucket it was more like a I don't know like a wagamama's edamame pot um random and so yeah I picked Bob Marley to play while I was doing that. That was a mistake. But Marley and the sound of an MRI

and not mates. And I didn't know which one to tap into. It was like, nah, nah, gna, like, everything's gonna be all right. And I was like,

no, no. So then when they did that, my MRI showed that I had cancer at the bottom, the side and the top. So I then decided to change doctors because I then had done my research and was like, okay, this is a real thing. And I'd just gone to the first person I googled.

So then I then, I kind of did my rounds of going, who's the best doctor, found my doctor and then he wanted to rerun some of the tests to make sure that the cancer, the DCIS that they'd found at the bottom was the same at the side and on the top. Because this was invasive, then it was a whole different thing. I would have needed chemo. So that was literally, I had those biopsies done the day, the night before I did like my Ronnie Scott's social, what's it called, um, industry event. So it was like, obviously knowing I had cancer, not knowing how bad it was, whilst trying to relaunched my career.

I mean, it was a lot, but also kind of just like, it made me actually like, can I say fuck? Yes. Like not give a fuck as much. Because I was just like, this thing over here is more important than anything else. So I couldn't care. It was a distraction. Yeah, no, it wasn't even distraction.

It was just a bit like, let's, let's have it. Yeah. Let's go for it. If this is it, let's go for it. So yeah. And then you found out that it hadn't, So I didn't know it hadn't spread until the surgery. Okay.

So the biopsy showed that it was all the same kind of cancer. Yeah. But between the time that that happened and the surgery happening, the cells can mature very quickly and just go. You don't know. So that's basically the evolution of breast cancer cells is that they overnight can go, we've figured out how to get out of here.

And we're going to be in your body now. And then you can't stop us without radiotherapy or chemotherapy or medication. So I then had a mastectomy, a full mastectomy on my right side. And that was right after summertime ball. That was on the 21st of June, I think. You delayed the surgery to do the summertime ball? I did. Much to my mum's anger.

I can imagine. But I just, yeah, I mean, even looking back at it now, I understand why it upset her and some other people, especially my partner. But I just felt my doctor said to me, it's very highly unlikely that it would have progressed. And realistically, that's the time I wanted to do it. and I really wanted to do summertime of all.

I just felt really proud of myself and I wanted to celebrate it. I wanted to have that moment. And it was only like 10 or 12 days. It wasn't like months. So yeah. So then I had the surgery. You had a full mastectomy.

Full mastectomy. Full mastectomy in the right side, yeah. With a direct implant. So now I've got like a rock hard mountain. Nice. She's standing strong. My girl. My new girl.

She's like, yes, I'm strong. The other one's going, you're all right. She's like, are you all right? Down there. So, yeah, so I had the mastectomy. And then it's only been five months. It's my surgery.

So I'm still much in recovery. I have, you know, physio. But you have done something. You did BBC 2 in the park. Yeah. You know, you've done it. You've done a lot this summer. Yeah, I mean, I haven't stopped working.

I haven't said no to anything. There might be one or two things that I've just said I can't. But yeah, I've just been going ham. And there's no need to go down the radiotherapy chemotherapy chemotherapy chemotherapy. chemotherapy route but you'll keep i'm assuming they'll keep to be completely honest again again i'm very aware that these conversations can trigger people because so many people choose to do this differently and everybody has their own thing but i was offered to take the medication for five years to like reduce the risk by like one percent so that tamoxifen i don't know what it's called

i don't remember but i said no because of the side effects and it stunts you from having babies and I will be 43 or 4 by the time I would stop taking that and I just was like, you know what, I don't want to lose that opportunity if I do want to have a second child. It also brings on early menopause. And, you know, I just felt for that tiny percentage, considering I had a mastectomy, I don't carry any genes, I felt it was right.

I might regret it, but now in this very moment I don't, and that was the right decision for me. Do you still trust your body? Oh, yeah. She's been with, oh, my girl has been there, holding me up, do the stroke through the amount of times that my body has been told no you can't do this or no you can't do that and i've we've together like i do see my body as like another person inside of me um that we've just been like no we can handle this we're good thank you so much And you chose to go public with your breast cancer and your other illnesses

but especially your breast cancer do you feel any responsibility to do that because you are in a position of privilege and people are inspired by you so maybe we'll then go off and check their breasts for instance when they hear. It was a tough one because obviously at the time in that I got diagnosed

I felt as if I didn't share it that I just, I'm such an honest person and for the first time in years I've been put into interviews and podcasts and TV shows and I was like, there's no way that I can go through breast cancer and not talk about it. Even just for myself,

like I wasn't talking about it and it was really strange. It was like I was living this double life. Like, I'd be in the, like, the BAFTA's performing and doing interviews, and then I'd be going to the hospital straight after to like, and it was just weird. And I was like, yeah, this doesn't feel right.

And I'm very much like, I don't become Jesse Jay. It's just a name for the brand that's me in the kitchen at home with my son and me on stage. So I just felt, like it was a weird one not to talk about but obviously then I know that along with that comes the responsibility when you're famous and you've got and you've got like you know people will listen to you but I think I've really tried to do my best this time to like not do that before I had processed that I'd even had it or have it and still going for even now people are like so you good

and I'm like well I'm good but I'm still I've got to do the other side at some point and I need to do something else on this side because the implant isn't sitting right and I need liposuction but I'll get to that but like it's not finished. it, you know, and even the amount of people that I meet that go, I had a mastectomy and it came back in my breast tissue, you know, and you're like, okay, that's a reality, but it's also a reality that I could have

something else happen. What do you mean you have to do the other side? So I want to even it out. Okay, they're not the same size at the moment. No, no, this one's all Amazon padding. Right. Yeah. God bless my mum. She's also sewing padding into every... I've got about 20 bras now and I don't know how to act. Honestly, I've in my drawing, I'm like,

I'm like, scada-da-da-da-da-oh. Oh, I get it. So your natural boob is smaller than the implant. Oh yeah, my nipples are doing two different things, babe. I've got one that's like a little sandbag that's like, and the other one's like a grapefruit under a tight bed sheet. Right. Does that feel weird or you're used to it? No, I've got used to it now. I mean, it's only been five months, but I don't, I've never to find, I mean, I've never been a boob girl. I'm always been a bit of a butt girl. But yeah, it's, it's, it is what it is. I'm here. Do you know what I mean? Like, it ain't that deep. Like, I'm so grateful to like not have

breast cancer. But yeah, so this one's all, like that's an implant. Yeah. And that one's pad in. So you get the boob job then? Basically, I've got to do some, that's why I was supposed to have surgery the middle of October and it got postponed because my surgeon, that is purely just a cancer reconstructive doctor said, this is a cancer reconstructive job, but also cosmetic.

Yeah. And so I need some stuff done on this side that's more cancer reconstructive, but I also want cosmetic so he's like I don't feel I'm right for the job so then I yeah so it's a whole process and I don't care what I do for work they're not thinking oh okay you got to go on tour let's yeah I don't care their goal is to get the cancer out and that's that's what it should be what one thing would you hope women listening today would know about early stage breast cancer and and checking themselves we could give them one piece of advice honestly my advice for anyone

isn't just about checking yourself, it's literally about looking at what you're putting into your body all the time. The cancer that I had, one of the main reasons that you can get it is from going on the contraception young, which I did.

I was 16. It was having a baby late, which I did, I was 36. I got my getting your period early, which obviously you can't control, but I got mine when I was, 10 or 11. Yeah.

God, you're describing me at the moment. Right. Yeah. They're all the reasons. It's all about your lymphatic drainage system. So it's where it gets blocked. And that can get blocked with toxins. So toxic deodorant with candles with, I mean, I, so when I got diagnosed, so many

of my friends were like, well, if you're going to get cancer, I'm, I am very healthy. Like, obviously not like, I'm not like, trust me, I'll steal it, eat a family. bag size of mini buttons but I am pretty healthy but you can always do more and it's like I just think that it's so important to like where you can make the change from plastic to stainless steel to glass to trying to cut down on junk food to if you can get a lymphatic drainage massage once every year or six months you know save up for it let it be a birthday gift or whatever if you can like you know get outside more exercise like I feel like that would be my advice now.

Like all my candles in my house, gone. I don't put perfume on my skin. All my products are super clean. You know, I don't have any plastic in my house. Neither does my son does not drink or eat from plastic. It's all stainless steel. It's all glass. That's hard to do that.

We've had another guest on here, actually. Speaking about the toxins and how to sort of detox your life. Yeah. It's hard in the sense that there's so many things you can't control. Like you're breathing in thousands of toxins. that weren't around 70 years ago. Yeah. You know, but also there are ones that you can.

But the plastic one is in particularly hard because products in supermarkets just come in plastic. Yeah. You buy blueberries. They're in plastic. Yeah. You know, everything.

But it's also about eating hot food out of plastic. Yeah. Heat up the plastic. Even if it's BPA or whatever, it's just better to eat stuff out of stainless steel. Yeah. It's obviously, again, you can't do it completely 100%. But the things that you can try.

So have you, you say you've always been healthy. Yes. you made a much more concerted effort since March. So these processes that you've just described, are they something that you've implemented since then? Yeah, so my diet, I've got again got even cleaner. Like I love food, but like I'm, I was vegan for six years.

So I definitely, and I went through the whole no sugar, no gluten thing. I've always been like, I do believe that food is a healer, it's medicine. And I can even go even more. Like I'm learning so much from some accounts that I follow on Instagram. I'm just like, oh my God, that's such a good idea and that's so true. And it's really just like,

lifestyle, like what you've been raised on, you know what I mean? If you've been raised on the 50 Shades of Bage Diet, do you know what I mean? It's like, it's hard to break away from the squashy bread and the chicken nuggets, but you can do it, and you can also do it on a budget. You can. And I just think it just takes a little bit more understanding and research to do it. But, you know, I definitely have changed the way I live more even now

since the cancer, for sure. And you can, as you mentioned, you can make those changes for, sky and for the next generation because I was brought up on the 50 shades of beige diet I definitely ate a mushroom chicken pot noodle every day for at least three years well I just remember having chips

with everything when I was growing up but you know it would be literally beans to be sure I have to say I don't want to say that because my mum was amazing with our food and obviously it was once I got to an age where I could leave the house and eat what I wanted and I got addicted to sugar like ADHD I know you have a fiend for sugar and it's like you crave the dopamine here

and it got so got so bad that I had to go to see a doctor to clear out my colon because I was so addicted to sugar that it was the only thing my body was absorbing. And then obviously you get candinda and you take loads of antibiotics and then you get the like overgrown of yeast in your body and it comes out in like your skin and like your gut health. And it's so bad, which is why I'm so anti-antibiotics. You know, obviously if they're necessary and it's the only thing that you can do to get rid of whatever it is, then great. But like, Sky has never had any even though we've been given them 16 times from the doctors every. time he goes with something um yeah we give him vitamins every day he has his humidifier every night he doesn't eat it of plastic he eats every vegetable everything everything i make is from scratch

i bulk cook at 5 a m i'm a bit crazy but like if i can do his life just that little bit more knowledgeable than say mine was or just with the things that people have learned with health and life and lifestyle then i'll try my best oh he's hit the jackpot with you isn't he I mean he's lucky everyone around him is just the best that he's he's hit the jackpot with many people in his life but I am glad that I'm his mum so your partner is the Danish Israeli basketball player yeah he was a basketball player for a long time

so his name is Hanan and he is the most incredible father like stand-up man like he has been incredible to sky and I just watching him flourish as a dad has been so magical for me yeah And you don't have child care, so it's your partner and then your mum stepping in. Just me and him. So I do a lot of the stuff. You know what I'm saying?

The preparing, the organising, the booking, the food shop, the cooking, the updating the clothes and the toys. And obviously when I'm at work, he does a lot of the actual childcare. And we mix between the two, obviously. I do it a lot too when I can. But yeah, he's been great. Because it would have been hard here for him. Oh, for sure. Watching your most, obviously.

almost more difficult when you're watching your loved one go through it. But I actually think it's been amazing because in that time that I have been going through that difficult time, it's been lovely that we've had plans and I've had summertime ball and Sky's come to see me sing the first time at Radio 2 and we've had all these beautiful opportunities to get out the house and there'd be another focus that's fun alongside. I never wanted, one thing I will always say is like my worst days will never define my days. God, I feel like I want to write that on the back of my hand. Do you know what I mean?

Like I feel like a lot of people introduce themselves Are the worst part of their life Yeah And I'm like, that's not me Like this was part of it Inspired this But it ain't me You know

And it offers a different lens to move forward Different perspective Yeah different perspective A resolved resilience I suppose Yeah And yeah you've been through So much with your health

In a very severe manner Yet you seem to come out stronger The other end I believe that I go through it So I connect with it of other people. I do believe that. I believe that whatever my purpose is in this world, in this life,

I believe that I go through it so that I can write songs about it and talk about it because I know that that's my strengths. You know? Because you do bring a lot of your personal life into your songs, especially your most recent. I don't mean to, you know, but I just can't help it. I can't. Imagine I can't stop talking about my titties. No, I literally just can't help it.

But you write all your own songs. So you write about personal experience. And even this album, The Don't Tease Me for a Good Time, obviously I wrote, started writing this in 2019, so that's seven years ago. Mad. Seven years ago is a different life to now, but I'm putting them out.

So people are reacting to things that I went through seven years ago, and I'm like, oh, then it's completely changed now. Like, the relationships, the experience, my health, like how I even felt about stuff. Like, you write songs in a moment where you've had an argument with someone on the phone. You go in the studio and you write it, and then you forget about it the next week,

and then seven years later, people are reacting to it, and you're going, oh, that doesn't really matter anymore. So you were diagnosed with ADHD in 20, 23. Yes, five minutes ago. The way you describe yourself, I'm not surprised you of ADHD. Someone very close to me has ADHD, and I can see similar personality traits.

But you can hyper-focus on things and super-determined, but equally have an awful lot of energy and maybe quite easily distracted. I hope I'm not offending you. There's nothing you can say that could offend me, honestly. How did that change how you understand yourself sense of self? I haven't really spoken about it a lot to be honest

because I feel like since I was diagnosed it was when I had a baby I just could not hide it anymore I mean I think everyone that knows me obviously I think there's a lot of undiagnosed people and I know that I think a lot of people think that it's almost like this like craze you know what I mean

where everyone's like everyone has it and I do believe that everybody's got a little something we're all a bit fruity you know what I mean But I could not hide it. When I got the responsibility of Sky and just the way my brain runs, when you're a new mom and you're like, the burnout days were insane. And just like all the negative traits of ADHD came to the forefront.

And I couldn't hide it anymore. And me and my partner were like, I need to get some support. And to get support I needed to be diagnosed. So I got diagnosed. And then I've really just been like working on it, having some therapy, learning about what it feels like, when it gets worse, what makes it better. And I also have OCD off the back of my ADHD because I know that if I, I feel as though

if I, if one little thing undoes or I don't stay on top of something, I feel like my whole world might fall apart. And that again isn't healthy, but it's what I'm working on it to improve it and to like be the best version of myself, but also celebrate that that's how my brain works. and that's okay. But yeah, I get super easily distracted. Again, I got some backlash from this when I said it the first time, but I do believe that if ADHD is in the right environment, it's a superpower. And if it's in the wrong environment, then it is not.

It is heartbreaking. But also I know how hard it is for parents that have children with ADHD that can't get diagnosed. And that must be awful. Or they don't know how to support them. And like there is in a lot of offering of support. just in general because people kind of poo-poo it a bit so yeah any time I meet I've met a lot of my fans

recently and a lot of them will talk about the ADHD or their children have it or they have it and their kids don't and and just that the offer of advice and support that I can give you know is nice to share you know the first person who's come on here and said describer as a superpower we had Lucy bronze the England footballer

and she was diagnosed with autism and ADHD in adulthood a couple of years ago and she described her as a superpower. Yeah, I do, but I don't think, I don't, the way my brain works and things that I can get done in a day is not normal for most people.

And I love that about myself. Like my time management, because my OCDs come off the back of my ADHD of like organization. Like I have lists and I'm very like, I have my structure of my day and my house runs a certain way. And that is the reason I can do what I do

with no assistant, no nanny. I style myself. I do, I do so much. myself because I am organized and I love that about myself. Some days I can fall off the, fall off the ladder and land in a pile of shit and it's what it is and everyone, everyone goes, okay, now it's time to slow it down and I listen. I never used to when I was younger but I listen now. But I've definitely built, I feel like I'm building a world around me that means that

I can flourish in made HD and not feel like I'm hiding. Because organization is not a trait synonymous with ADHD. Is that a skill that you've had? to no it's become an obsession and compulsive thing because of the ADHD that I feel like and I've also grew up in hospitals and hotels so that also played a big part in me needing things to look like they're not being used or like I can't even it's so hard to explain but I know what my brain thinks like even when I come in here as I'm talking to you I'm lining up that table into the middle of that chair and I'm cleaning up those wires and like this is what I had to talk about to the

person to get diagnosed. She was like, tell me what your brain's thinking right now. And I'm like, I've turned that plant around about four times. But it's not even a conscious thought, like, that that sofa is not even to those two lines on the wall. And I'm constantly putting it in the, it's like, and that's what it is. So my brain doesn't ever go to sleep. But do you give in to those compulsive?

Everyone's like, what the hell? And I need to sort the plant out. No, it's fine. That's the thing. It's absolutely fine. It's the way my brain is. I want to tell you those wires in a bit. But do you give in to those compulsive thoughts then?

Because that must be quite exhausting if you're sat at home just there, just watching Netflix and suddenly reorganising the house around you. If I'm stressed, like when I'm high, my stress is heightened. When I first gave birth, I couldn't turn it off. And my partner, it was difficult for him. He would, like, I'd literally put the baby down. I'd hardly slept and I'm reorganising the living room. Not because the living room needed reorganising,

but I was trying to calm my brain down. and every little intrusive thought of like you need to reorganise the spice things they need to be neater and this needs to be and I'd be like yeah but if I do that then I need to do this and this needs tidying up and now the germs are in the house and they need to do it got insane like to a point where and also I had nothing else to focus on

and I'm so proud of how I mean Alicia who's behind the camera has been working for me 15 years we talk about it all the time and just how I used to be obsessive over my suitcases on tour and that I would spend my day off reorganising them instead of going out because I just felt like I needed to be in control and everything to be organised. I think it was that constant thing of needing to be prepared for everything and anything because I have such high standards. So I've definitely like relaxed, oh my goodness, in the last,

I mean, I now go on tour with one or two suitcases. It's like unheard of and my makeup bag's like the size of my hand. Like it's crazy how much I've like mellowed and I'm not as like, and I don't put it on to other people as much. I was parenting in that state of mind with a toddler. He's rough. Yeah, who would like flight risks at that age. He's two, isn't he?

He's two and a half. Two and a half. I remember my son at two and a half. A flight risk. A danger to himself and others. You know, always stinking. I remember going into the garden one day and he picked up a slug and he had the slugletty in his mouth.

I'm just whacking this slug out of his mouth. I'm done, not the slug. and all the slime dripping down his face. Oh, God. I know. Boys are gross. But dealing with the realities of parents and a two and a half year old boy

with what you've described must be really tough. Yeah, it's definitely tough and because I am so hands on and obviously at the moment I'm working really hard and I get home at say midnight I get home and do like an hour of like going through the house and reset and stuff like because that's what calms me down.

I don't drink. I've never done. drugs I like to organize you know that's what calms me down and um so yeah so I've definitely got better and I know that hasn't been in an easy environment for my my partner either you know to share with me because he's the total opposite he's the most laid-back like untidy person so it's like there's one of the reasons that like you know we we've got along to some extent because he's made me relax and I've had to go right let me do less you know and he needs to step up and do more so like we've kind of

tried to meet in the middle, but sometimes it just doesn't work and sometimes it's amazing. But no, it is a lot. I'm not going to pretend it isn't. You know, it is tough, but at the moment I'm in a really good stride and I've created a really, really good, healthy structure where I can really switch off and not have guilt either side. Where I'm at work, I'm at work. And when I'm with my son, I'm with my son. And I'm not going, if I'm here, then I feel bad, then I'm not there.

And if I'm there and now I'm just like, let me just be present in the moment. and give the best in whatever I'm doing. Do you utilise any mindfulness strategies to calm your mind? Yes. So I do, I don't know what it's called, but I've done it for absolutely years, and I've got my word that I can't tell anyone. But you make up a word.

You can use real words, and sometimes I do, but I meditate by repeating that word in my head, and I see it written out. And if I distract, like, if I close my eyes now and go to my word and I write it out in my brain, like being written with a pencil or in sparklers, sometimes it changes. Like I'll see it in different ways.

If I go off where I'm thinking, I like a suit, what am I going to have for dinner tonight? Then I go back to the word and I just keep repeating. And over the time, over that practice, your brain will train itself to calm down if you think of that word. So if I'm on a plane that's turbulent, I'll close my eyes. I see the word and instantly my brain goes, okay, we're shutting down. And that helps me. Like, I have to do it at award ceremonies and stuff when it's really loud and there's lots of people. I don't like it.

That's why I don't see me. That's why I'm overstimulated by noise and I can't be in crowds of people. I'm really claustrophobic. Like, I hate, like, you know, the clinking of cutlery? Oh my God. The people chewing loudly. Absolutely not. So, like, I'll sit there and I'll be like, and someone will be talking to me and all of a sudden it feels like the floor's gone from underneath me.

And I have to close my eyes and I have to go and I think of my word and it just brings me back to like the room and in my core. That really helps me. I'm going to the person in my family. who has ADHD, who gets very overstimulated by crowds and theme parks, anything like that, it really struggles. I've got a fidget thing as well. I've got one in my bag. I'm going to tell him the word trick.

Yeah, do it. No, but it really is a lot. And sometimes tell him that the first time he does it, it'll do it 10 seconds and then be like, it's too much. Yeah. And then the next day, 15 seconds, next day, 20 seconds, then you'll get to a minute. And then you reach like five minutes and you literally just go, oh my gosh, the whole world feels still. I think we could all benefit from doing that, though. I've also got better at like just chilling out,

like in the sense of like, I now imagine my day in slow motion and I don't let things stress me out like I used to. Like I used to just be constantly a bit more uptight with my ADHD. I'd be a bit like, like everything was like, and now I'm just like, I try and actively imagine the days in slow motion and I also enjoying it.

I think ADHD can really steal the joy. you know so I really try and do that but yeah the meditation trick will definitely help and a fidget in his pocket yeah he's got one of those well all sorts of them yeah just to my mum bought me one and I broke it and I was like I was so intense of it I just literally just split it in half and she was like okay so that one didn't work let's get you a different one but it's so funny now and I say to my mum like didn't you know that I had like OCD and ADHD and she was like

well you used to clean your trainers with a two brush. Signs were there then. The signs were there. But also she was like, I knew that when you were stressed because you'd rearrange your room, that was what I did. I organised and rearranged. I needed change.

Like, I'm a big impulsive. That's ADHD. The dopamine. I need big. And sometimes, especially when I have a baby and every day is the same, it almost can help, but also heightens the fact that you're like, but I just want to jump on a plane or I want to go and do this or I want to go and do that or I want to, I'm going to pick up psych.

Like, I remember I'd be like, I want to play tennis. and I'd go and buy everything to play tennis and I'd play it twice and then the racket's still in my cup like I'm that that's that is that you know personal debt is a big issue people with ADHD because they are

they can be compulsive shoppers yeah I'm not like that so much I like I think I'm a compulsive giving to other people I get a real kick out of like buying gifts and giving things to other people and like

you know and like even other people and around charities and that I get obsessed with that yeah that's not a bad thing though so let's look forward you have just bought your new album out don't tease me with the good time don't tease me with a good time girl

it's already flying high it's doing its things you know the most important thing to me people always say like you know what do you want from this album and I'm like I just want people to take from it what they need what they want there's so many different songs on that album it was such a big like spectrum of time that I wrote this record again the first song I wrote on it

thought that that made it was complicated which I wrote in 2019 or 2018 and all the way to fall this love which is the last song I wrote in 2022 or 23 so like it's a real spectrum of like joy grief pop silliness honesty anger heartache is all of it and And that is what being a human is. I personally don't wake up and go, I want to listen to the same song over and over and over again. So I make albums like I'm a song right out because that is what ultimately I am.

And that's what this album feels like. Do you a favourite song on it? I love California. I think the song that hits me the hardest is I'll never know why. Yeah. And what's that based on? So I never know why I wrote about my security guard Dave, who took his life seven years ago

and I wrote this song five years ago and I wrote it with Ryan Tedder and I remember the day because he was like playing all these beats and they were up-tempo and I was just like I need to write this song I need to write a song about Dave and it's a song

there's my perspective and my obviously viewpoint from it was how I felt about him leaving the world and not saying goodbye and not knowing ever really why the lyric that gets to me is how could you say goodbye

without saying goodbye. And even now, I just get so frustrated and almost a bit trippy that I'm never going to talk to him ever again because he was so, so close to me. But I think that more importantly, in a bigger scale, is that everyone's grieving. And people kind of suppress it

because it's something that you can't, a lot of the time, if you need to go through everyday normal life, carry around with you. So you kind of stuff it into the bottom of your bag or put it under your bed. And this song forces, you to open the box that you stuffed under your bag and get it out. And that's what I love

about music is that it connects people that are all just struggling that just need a hug and also to remind people that might be feeling suicidal or feeling like they don't want to be here, that there are so many people that love them that would be heartbroken if they were left behind.

It must be really tough to sing songs like that on stage. You're about to go on tour. You're going to be in various countries but then you have to really dig deep to do justice to songs such as that. I have to like, I've only sung it four times. I did it at the Royal Variety.

I did it a few times at Banquet. Then I actually went to Waterloo Station and King's Cross Station yesterday randomly and just sang it. Because I wanted to go into an environment where I know that people are just going about their normal day and going to work and going shopping or picking up their kids or whatever

and they're carrying their grief around, especially this time of year. This time of year reminds us of all the people that we wish were still here. You know? And so I wanted to go to them and be like, I'm with you. I see you and I feel you. And also the people that are walking around with a smile on their face

that are thinking I don't want to be here anymore and no one loves me. And I just want to remind you that you are loved and that we do want you here. So yeah, it's difficult to sing. But as I said, I know that I have a purpose and I believe that purpose is bigger than how I feel about it sometimes. And I know that if I can just save one person for, from feeling that loneliness, that's all I care about. So we're chatting at the very tail end of 2025.

Yes. It's been a tough year but also an exciting year. It's actually not been that tough, you know. Again, I don't define this year. Like when you said in there, you were like, this year was supposed to be a comeback and it ended up being, it was my comeback and that was part of it. Do you know what I mean?

C for comeback, see for cancer, C for Cornish. It all kind of goes together, you know. Like it's just part of it. I feel like I've enjoyed this comeback more because I had breast cancer. So like I'm not, I don't feel like it took anything away if anything it added a deeper meaning. So I'm really proud of this year and I'm so proud of how I've dealt with it, how my son has dealt with it, my family, my friends, my team, you know, we've shown up.

So what are your hopes for next year and beyond? Next year I'd like to bake a bag of cash, no joke. Imagine. No, next year I'd love to go into stand up. I would love to do comedy more. I'd love to do film. I'm obviously touring a lot next year. I definitely want to make more music.

That's just, I mean, I've got seven. I mean, I haven't written a song for four years, three years. Very, very bad. But I know it's all there ready to come out. And then in six years time when I release it, no, I'm not joking. I just want to be happy, happy sane, enjoying what I do, calm, healthy,

being as present as a mum as I am at work with some decent tunes out and maybe doing something that challenges me whether it's a book or a children's album or comedy or Broadway or film whatever's going to come will come. I'm going to come and watch you if you do stander. Come, yeah.

That would be amazing. Imagine it was awful. It won't be. Just a silent crowd and me just making really inappropriate jokes. Yeah. Well, thank you so. much for coming into House of Hearst today

and being on Just as well. Before I leave you, we do have some quick fire questions. Hit me, I thought you said Jess as well. Oh, Jess Is Well. Jess Is Well on Just as well. Just as well. I'm match them on Shoehl properly. So Gemma and I are inviting ourselves to our guests'

homes for dinner. But what are you going to cook us? Oh, don't tease me for good time. Okay, start our, we're having either carrot and coriander soup with probably some like yogurt flatbreads on the side. All homemade ofs. Or a hulumi salad with spinach and like a honey mustard dressing on peppers.

Lovely. So that's the intro. And then for the main course, hmm, I would usually do some sort of like, I don't know, the main course has changed so much over the years of what I would usually do. Sometimes I make meat pies from scratch, but vegan ones, and they're really nice. I'd always do some sort of potato or rice. I like wet food. There's always got to be a sauce or some sort of gravy.

but maybe like a chicken also lemon parmesan situation and then dessert I mean my strawberry cheesecake is good but I don't make it as much as I used to could make an exception for us I'll make an exception lovely but I do love a roasted peach with just like some cream or ice cream

well that sounds nice as well simple things lovely you're going to a desert island for 12 months but you can only take one thing what would you take And a charger. And a charger.

That's the best answer we've had. I was about to say, you can't take your son, but I didn't need to say it. No, no, no. He's not coming. Okay, so I can't take my son. I would take...

I think you've answered it. Oh, yeah, my vibrator. Yeah, you've vibrated. I mean, I could just, you know. I don't think you can top that. What's the last thing that made you belly laugh? Oh, last thing that made me belly laugh. You know what?

I'm going to explain. expose him here just because I think it's so funny. But we went to the Rolling Stones Awards recently and my manager was talking to Rio Aura's sister and he thought it was Rio Aura because they looked so alike. And he came over to me and went, it's just because he's funny as well

so it might not seem funny now, but he just went, what's that, Rita Aura? And it's just the way he said it because I was literally just thinking, you've been standing there for talking to her for legit 35 minutes. And I just thought it was so funny. And she must have styled it out because of it.

No, she's beautiful. They both of them are so hot. And I was just like, no, that's Eleanor. And it just made me laugh. Coffee or wine? Oh, neither, but wine, probably. You're not a coffee drinker either. No, I like a coffee-flavored milk, but a decath.

Like a child. Have you never drunk coffee? Was that a little thing? No, it's my heart problem. I'm not a caffeine girl. What's one thing people listening today could do to make themselves feel a little bit better? Slow down, breathe. Take a second.

Zoom out. Don't react. Leave it for 24 hours. That has helped me a lot. Anytime you're triggered, anytime you're mad, anytime you're sad, anytime you're angry,

just park it for 24 hours and come back to it. And I guarantee your reaction will be more level-headed, be calmer, be wiser, and you might not have even need to, you might not even need to react.

So sensible. That's another thing I'm going to take away from this chat. I'm terrible for reacting. Oh, I've got some angry thumbs me. Do you know, I mean? Boop, bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, ba. Bob, blah, blah. Right, well, Jess, thank you so much for coming in today.

I've thoroughly enjoyed your chat. Really exposed myself, didn't I? I've really, really grateful for your honesty. And good luck with the album, good luck with the tour. Thank you. And if you do, do stand up, I'm going to come along. And I would love to come and see you on tour as well. Yeah, come on time.

Exciting 2026 for you. Let's go. Thanks for coming in. Next year will be my year.