Singer Jessie J has opened up about her early breast cancer diagnosis at age 37, revealing how she is vowing not to let the disease silence her voice
Singer Jessie J has defiantly declared that she won’t “sit down and be quiet and cry” in the face of her cancer diagnosis, instead promising to sing as loudly and proudly as possible. The 37-year-old artist, born Jessica Cornish, has candidly discussed her early breast cancer diagnosis and how it has reshaped her approach to life.
The mum-of-one revealed in June that she had been diagnosed with the disease, undergoing her first surgery just weeks later. In a chat with Women’s Health UK, Jessie shared how she delayed her surgery that month to perform at Capital’s Summertime Ball.
She confessed: “I feel guilty that not everyone who has to have cancer surgery gets that moment. There were 80,000 people cheering, not because I could sing well or wore an outfit they liked. It was: we love you, we’re behind you and we hope this goes well.
“We’re not handcuffed to having to sit down and be quiet and cry because we’ve got cancer. I’m going to sing Bang Bang as loud as I can.”
The lyrics to the song Bang Bang, which she originally performed alongside Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, centre around self-confidence and self-expression, reports the Mirror.
Jessie is determined to shift the conversation surrounding cancer, stating: “Surely this is an opportunity to change that narrative: ‘Oh, if you’ve got cancer, you should go away and deal with it privately, quietly. No one should know about it. No one wants to see you look rough. And come back when it’s all done, and everything’s great.’ That ain’t me.
“Even when I had the miscarriage, I did a show the next day. I sat on stage and I was grieving – and that was the show.”
She remains hopeful that her outspoken approach to discussing the illness, rather than keeping quiet, is making a difference. “I hear all the time from people who say that a friend checked her breasts after seeing me talking about it,” she added.
“They found a lump, and it’s cancer, but they’ve caught it early. I’ve got goosebumps. So, yeah, I’ll keep talking about how important it is.”
In August, the singer-songwriter disclosed that she required a second operation before the year’s end, forcing her to delay her forthcoming tour.
Her UK and Europe tour dates have been rescheduled until April 2026, whilst the US portion of the tour has been scrapped entirely.
Following her operations, she made her return to the stage in September at BBC’s Radio 2 in the Park in Chelmsford. In November, she was spotted embracing the Princess of Wales at the Royal Variety Performance.
She later characterised the moment as a “mum to mum” experience, though both women have also shared the ordeal of undergoing cancer treatment whilst in the public spotlight.
Jessie also discussed with Women’s Health how she reached out to presenter Davina McCall, who revealed her breast cancer diagnosis through an Instagram post last month. The vocalist revealed: “I’ve never spoken to [Davina] before, but I reached out and said, ‘This is what’s helped me, maybe it can help you”…[My advice to anyone] is the same thing I say to anyone who’s pregnant, had a baby, had a miscarriage or been told they’ve got cancer: this is your thing.
You create the bubble that you need to survive. “The London-born star became a mum to her son, Sky Safir Cornish Colman, in 2023, following a miscarriage she experienced in November 2021.Jessie has faced numerous health challenges throughout her life, including being diagnosed with a heart condition at eight years old, enduring a minor stroke at 18, and temporarily losing her hearing in 2020.She shared: “Since I was young, so many things have happened to me.
I’ve always had obscure health issues that (doctors) can’t figure out. “”Nothing has broken me.
I believe I’ve gone through all the things I have to help people. Even if it’s just to write songs about it.
“The singer-songwriter has topped the UK singles chart three times with hits like Domino, Price Tag and Bang Bang.Her most recent album, Don’t Tease Me With A Good Time, hit the shelves on November 28, marking her first studio album in nearly ten years. It’s said to encapsulate the raw ups and downs of her past decade. Speaking at the LP launch in London last month, she admitted that her cancer diagnosis has shifted her perspective on life. She elaborated: “I’m just grateful for the lessons and grateful honestly for the connectivity that has given me with so many people having cancer I wouldn’t have had the beautiful conversations that I’ve had. And I’ve been a better parent, I’ve been a better person.
I’ve honestly not sweated the small stuff. Some things that used to stress me out don’t anymore, because when life turns into something that you feel like you can’t control, you just gotta sit down.
“In 2011, Jessie was honoured with four Mobo awards including best UK act, best newcomer, best song for ‘Do It Like A Dude’ and best album for ‘Who You Are’. She also bagged the Brit Award for rising star in the same year.During the interview, Jessie took the opportunity to laud her partner and ‘incredible’ father, Chanan Colman. The couple first crossed paths in 2021 but maintained a relatively low-profile relationship until they were spotted together in Los Angeles in April 2022.The singer and ex-basketball player officially confirmed their relationship while vacationing on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island.She expressed: “Chanan’s the most incredible dad. He’s such a stand-up dad and guy, and the love he pours into [our son] Sky obviously then pours into me.
“He’s also an ex-athlete, so he’s been really good for challenging me with how I’m looking after myself post-surgery… We don’t have a nanny, I have no assistant, it’s just us. My mum will come and help every now and again. But Chanan has Sky a lot when I’m working.”
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