Adele Roberts has announced that she's officially cancer free, and has thanked the "angel" NHS doctors for saving her life, reports The Manc.
Taking to social media to share the good news in an emotional post, the BBC Radio 1 DJ said that hearing the words 'you’re free of cancer' was the day she had been waiting for since her diagnosis, adding that it "absolutely took my breath away".
She said it was "the most beautiful sound" she thinks she's ever heard.
The Southport-born presenter - who has worked for a number of Northern radio stations throughout her career, including Rock FM, Galaxy, and Hits Radio Manchester, before moving to national radio and becoming a regular presenter of Radio 1’s Weekend Breakfast Show since January 2021 - revealed back in October that she had been diagnosed with and was undergoing treatment for bowel cancer.
The 43-year-old, who first found fame in Channel 4’s Big Brother in 2002, and apperead on ITV reality competition series I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2019, confirmed that she had a tumour removed through surgery.
Following the surgery, she now uses a stoma bag, and had been undergoing chemotherapy.
Confirming she's free of cancer in a post to Instagram, Adele wrote: "Everything we’ve been through seems to be swirling around in my body and life feels a bit surreal at the moment… BUT I AM SO GRATEFUL.
"I am also in awe of anyone dealing with cancer. The courage, the strength, the determination, and at times, the humour you have shown has been nothing short of super human. You’ve inspired me and given me the fire to never give up. You’re warriors and it’s thanks to seeing you being so strong that’s kept me going. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Sometimes it took me all my strength just to get out of bed and face the day but I still did it.
"Every day I made sure I did something to do a huge f*ck you to cancer. It’s taken too many of us. I didn’t know what fate had in store for me but I knew I’d never stop trying."
Adele also took the time to thank her family, friends, her partner Kate - who she said is her "reason to get out of bed every morning" - and everyone who’s taken time to message her and send love or positive thoughts.
She said that everyone's well-wishes kept her going and helped her "slay this beast".
"If anything it’s made me happier than I’ve ever been," Adele said.
"Going through the darkness has given me the light. It’s transformed me, given me my little stoma Audrey, brought amazing people into my life and it’s time now for me to start really living."
The beautiful spa town of Ilkley has been crowned the best place to live in the north of England by The Sunday Times.
The results are in, and our very own Ilkley has taken the top spot for the north and north-east category.
The list posted but the Sunday Times every year, features 72 locations across the UK that they deem are the best spots to settle down in.
Judges visited each location to take in the atmosphere, explore the history and chat to the locals to find out what made each place so special.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
It's not the first time the wonderful spa town of Ilkley has been praised, having been the national winner back in 2022 it's no stranger to taking home the trophy.
The judging panel said about Ilkley: “It’s not just the fresh air, fantastic scenery, excellent schools and direct trains to Leeds that make Ilkley this year’s pick of the north and northeast. It’s the get-up and go of a community that tackles every challenge with gusto.”
"It's hard to imagine anywhere with more opportunities for youngsters."
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Also getting a mention in the regional category was Horsforth, which was recommended for its transport links, brilliant local schools and thriving social scene.
The guide said: "The city is Yorkshire's economic powerhouse - but for something a bit greener, a bit more family friendly, it's hard to better Horsforth's streets of sandstone houses."
Elsewhere up north, Sheffield got a special shoutout where the judges said: "Burgeoning creative industries and judicious regeneration are igniting interest in previously overlooked postcodes ... Hipsters and happy families alike are celebrating, welcoming, embracing, loving this city-wide vibe."
So if you fancy escaping the hustle and bustle of the city centre, then why not hop on a train and visit the best place to live up north and see for yourselves what the fuss is all about.
Adolescence tops Netflix charts with more than 24 million views in four days
Emily Sergeant
New British series Adolescence has shot right to the top of Netflix’s most-watched TV charts after more than 24 million people tune in.
Hitting the streaming platform just last Thursday, Adolescence is a four-part limited series about a 13-year-old boy who is accused of murdering one of his classmates, with each episode remarkably being filmed in one unflinching and continuous shot.
This truly gripping story unfolds in real time as the main characters search for answers in the wake of a shocking tragedy.
Who is actually responsible? Why did it happen? And could it have been prevented?
Image: Netflix
Co-created and written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham, with Graham starring alongside an ensemble cast of accomplished actors such as Ashley Walters and Erin Doherty, as well as screen newcomer Owen Cooper as the young boy Eddie Miller, accused of murder, the show tells the story of how a family’s world is turned upside.
“We could have made a drama about gangs and knife crime, or about a kid whose mother is an alcoholic or whose father is a violent abuser,” Stephen Graham said ahead of the show‘s release.
Image: Netflix
“Instead, we wanted you to look at this family and think, ‘My God, this could be happening to us.’ And what’s happening here is an ordinary family’s worst nightmare.”
Over the course of the four intense one-shot episodes, the show shines a uncomfortable spotlight on and examines key themes such as male rage, the dangers of social media, cyberbullying, incel culture, and more.
The latest viewing figures show that Adolescence undoubtedly has been a runaway hit, with a whopping 24.3 million views amassed in its first four days of availability, making it the streaming platform’s top show for the week of 10-16 March.
Image: Netflix
As the show continues to garner universal acclaim, standing at 98% on notable critic website Rotten Tomatoes, those viewing figures are set to clock up thick and fast as the days go on.
While Adolescence and Jamie’s story isn’t based on a real person or event specifically, Graham, Thorne, and director Philip Barantini have confirmed that the idea for the series did spring from reports that co-creator Graham had heard about on the news of young boys being involved in knife crimes – particularly the shocking 2021 murder of Ava White in Liverpool.
Much of Adolescence was filmed in Pontefract in West Yorkshire, with the casting of Cooper in the role of Jamie ultimately influencing where the show was shot.
“We knew it was going to be set somewhere in the North of England, and we also knew it would be from somewhere around wherever our Jamie was from – in this case near Warrington – because it would have been unfair to make him do an accent,” explained director Philip Barantini.
All four episodes of Adolescence are now available to stream on Netflix.