‘She’s My Absolute Hero!’ Star DJ Adele Roberts, 43, Says Stomach Cancer Battle Has Brought Her Closer Than Ever To Actress Fiancée Kate Holderness, 38

Her fiancée and partner of 18 years is British actress and author Kate Holderness. Roberts said Holderness has revealed "a different side" since during her cancer fight.

"She’s my counsellor, my mentor and the best nurse ever," she said. "She helped me when I could barely walk and had to shuffle into work at Radio 1. She’s my absolute hero."

Roberts first went public with her diagnosis in October, announcing she would be undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed. The pair have documented the British radio presenter’s journey on social media.

 

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A post shared by Kate Holderness (@kateholderness)

 

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For her part, Holderness told Hello! that she has discovered "a strength in me I never knew I had" during a battle that has seen Roberts undergo chemotherapy and requiring a colostomy bag.

"I was devastated," she said of the day they found out about Roberts’ cancer. "But I held back 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 said she dealt with conflicting emotions immediately after finding out about her illness.

"My first question was, ‘Am I going to die, and is it my fault?’" she said. "I felt bad for 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."

Stomach Cancer Facts

Roberts’ case is slightly unusual as, according to the American Cancer Society, stomach cancer mostly affects older people, with an average diagnosis age of 68, and is more common in men than women. In total, over 26,000 Americans are expected to be diagnosed with the disease in 2022, with over 11,000 people dying from it.

While stomach cancer used to be one of the most common forms of cancer, it’s become increasingly rare in recent years, though the reasons why aren’t clear. What is known is that, if caught early, prognosis tends to be relatively positive, with a 70% survival rate for stomach cancers that haven’t spread over a five-year span.

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