Advertise on podcast: Life After Cancer? WTF Now?

You finish cancer treatment, everyone expects you to celebrate, get back to normal and crack on with life. But what happens when you don't feel normal? When your body's changed, your head's all over the place and suddenly every ache and pain has you convinced the cancer's back? This week I'm joined by Claire, who's right in the thick of that messy, confusing stage of life after cancer. After discovering she carried an ATM gene mutation, Claire was diagnosed with breast cancer at 40. Now, having finished chemotherapy and radiotherapy, she's navigating the reality of what comes next. We talk about the fear of recurrence, scan anxiety, treatment-induced menopause, the pressure to bounce back, and the strange realisation that maybe we don't actually want our old lives back. Because surviving cancer and figuring out how to live afterwards are two very different things. If you've just finished treatment and you're wondering why you don't feel how you thought you would, this one's for you. No blueprint. No pretending we've got it all figured out. Just two women having an honest conversation about the messy bit nobody really prepares you for. @lifeaftercancer_wtf @clairevsboobiecancer

Cancer treatment can change a hell of a lot about our bodies, but one thing we don't talk about nearly enough is what happens to our sex lives. Vaginal dryness, painful sex, disappearing libidos, changes in body confidence and feeling like a complete stranger in your own body. And the advice we're often given? Just use some lube. Brilliant. Thanks for that! This week I'm joined by Sam Evans, former nurse and co-founder of Jo Divine, who's spent nearly 20 years helping women reclaim their sexual health and pleasure. I asked Sam what the biggest issues were that women were coming to her with after cancer treatment, and we worked our way through them one by one, exploring why they happen and, more importantly, what we can actually do about them. We're talking lubricants, vaginal oestrogen, dilators, vibrators, low libido, painful sex, body confidence and how to navigate intimacy when your body doesn't feel like yours anymore. This episode is packed with practical advice, plenty of laughs and conversations that really shouldn't be happening behind closed doors. Because surviving cancer is one thing. But we deserve to enjoy our bodies, our relationships and our sex lives too. @lifeaftercancer_wtf @samtalkssex 10% Discount code valid until 19/12/26 LAC10

After a cancer diagnosis your suddenly you’re supposed to shit rainbows and unicorns, radiate gratitude and live your best lifeThis week, I’m talking about the difference between toxic positivity and a positive mindset that actually helps. The pressure to be grateful, the Instagram “living my best life” posts, and why finishing treatment didn’t magically leave me farting unicorns and rainbows. Through my own experiences of anxiety, fear of recurrence and inappropriate jokes, I explore how a helpful mindset makes room for the difficult days and helps us work through them. You can be grateful AND scared. Hopeful AND having a shit day. There’s room for all of it here. Follow: @lifeaftercancer_WTF

People say some truly wild shit when you have cancer. “At least you kept your hair.”“Everything happens for a reason.”“You’ve just got to stay positive.”“Well, at least it hasn’t spread.”“If I was going to get cancer, that’s the one I’d want.” And, of course, the absolute classic… “Well, at least you’re still alive.” In this solo episode, I’m counting down 10 things you really shouldn’t say to someone with cancer from toxic positivity and cancer comparisons to the well-meaning comments that can make you want to scream. Most people aren’t trying to be insensitive. They just don’t know what to say. So here’s a revolutionary idea: you don’t need to find the silver lining, fix it or tell someone why it could be worse. Sometimes “Are you okay?” is more than enough. Funny, sweary, honest and probably one to send to that person who keeps saying “at least…”. follow @lifeaftercancer_wtf

Why do we feel the need to rank cancer? At least you didn’t lose your hair.At least you caught it early.At least you didn’t need chemo.Other people have it worse. In this solo episode, I’m talking about the Cancer Comparison Olympics —that weird habit we have of comparing diagnoses, treatments, side effects and even how well we’re coping. I talk about the comments people make (usually with the best intentions), the guilt that can come with feeling like your cancer “wasn’t bad enough” to justify struggling, and why somebody else having it worse doesn’t make what happened to you any less bloody hard. Because cancer isn’t a competition. There’s no podium, no medal for suffering the most, and no minimum amount of trauma required before you’re allowed to find it difficult. Your experience is your experience. And it counts. @lifeaftercancer_wtf

Cancer is expensive. And I don’t just mean emotionally. There’s a hidden financial cost that comes with a cancer diagnosis: reduced income, sick leave, hospital travel, heating bills, wigs, post-surgery bras, childcare, changing the way you work… all while you’re trying to recover from the small matter of having bloody cancer. In this episode, I’m talking about the cancer tax, the costs nobody really warns you about , and sharing my own experience of returning to work after treatment, cutting my hours, eventually leaving teaching altogether, and how I planned financially to make that possible. I also share some of the support I wish I’d known about sooner, including PIP, Universal Credit, ESA, ill-health retirement, reasonable adjustments and critical illness insurance, plus why finding your own financial “enough point” can give you more options than you realise. Because sometimes the goal after cancer isn’t earning as much money as possible. Sometimes it’s having enough money and enough of your life left over to actually enjoy it. Follow @lifeaftercancer_wtf

This week, we’re talking about bums. Because apparently there are still some parts of cancer we’re all a bit too embarrassed to talk about. Ali joins me to share her experience of being diagnosed with HPV-related anal cancer from the symptoms that first made her realise something wasn’t right, to diagnosis, treatment and everything that came afterwards. We talk about HPV and its link to anal cancer, the stigma that can come with a diagnosis like this, and why embarrassment can sometimes stop people talking about symptoms or getting themselves checked. But, as always, this isn’t just about the cancer. It’s about the life after it too identity, recovery, finding your confidence again and figuring out what comes next when treatment ends. It’s honest, funny in places, and probably contains more chat about bums than your average podcast episode. Because if talking about the awkward stuff makes even one person get something checked, it’s worth talking about. @lifeaftercancer_wtf @alistripling @TheBraveBehinds

What happens when cancer makes you stop and question the life you were living before? Caroline was diagnosed with cancer in June 2025 and from her chemo chair, she started building something new. In this episode, we talk about her diagnosis, the mental side of cancer, mindset, and how going through something that completely turns your life upside down can also make you ask some pretty big questions about what you actually want next. We talk about starting a business during treatment, designing a life on your own terms, letting go of the pressure to go “back to normal”, and navigating that messy middle when you know you want something different… but you haven’t quite figured out what that looks like yet. And this definitely isn’t a “cancer happened and then I became super productive” story. You absolutely do not need to start a business from your chemo chair. It’s about giving yourself permission to question the path you were on and maybe choosing a different one, one that gives you PURPOSE! Because life after cancer doesn’t always have to be about getting your old life back. Sometimes, you get to build a new one. 🎙️ Life After Cancer: WTF Now?Hosted by Naomi Jolly @lifeaftercancer_wtf @carolinewoolley_ @thrive_businessandbalance

What happens when cancer changes not just your body, but the entire direction of your life? This week I’m joined by Alex, founder of H.E.R Bodywear: Heal, Empower, Revive. After facing breast cancer twice, multiple surgeries and the breakdown of her marriage, Alex found herself rebuilding far more than her body. She went back to university, retrained in fashion and, through her own experience of struggling to find post-surgery bras that made her feel comfortable, confident, feminine and sexy, spotted a huge gap in the market. That experience eventually led to the creation of H.E.R Bodywear. We talk honestly about body image and femininity after breast cancer, finding confidence in a body that has changed, changing direction when the life you had no longer fits, and having the courage to build something new even when you're still very much in the messy middle. Because cancer is a shit show. But sometimes, out of something you never would have chosen, comes a completely new direction and purpose. Follow Alex and H.E.R Bodywear: @her_bodywearFollow the podcast: @lifeaftercancer_wtf

Amy was just 30 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer an age when cancer probably feels like the last thing you should be worrying about. In this episode, we talk about what it’s really like facing breast cancer as a young woman from diagnosis and treatment to fertility, body image, relationships, BRCA1 and the reality of trying to rebuild your life afterwards. We also ask the question so many of us are wondering: why are we hearing about more and more young women being diagnosed with breast cancer? An honest conversation about being young, being thrown into a world you never expected to be part of, and figuring out what the f**k life looks like afterwards. Follow Amy: @amysarmyx and @aimaddisonxFollow the podcast: @lifeaftercancer_wtf

Cancer put me into menopause at 42 and this week, seeing my latest hormone results in black and white hit me much harder than I expected. I cried. I felt robbed. And I started wondering: why am I so bloody sad about something I already knew was happening? Because I don't think I'm only grieving menopause. I'm grieving what it represents: fertility, ageing, the body I had before cancer, and that little door I'd kept open to maybe having another baby. In this episode, I'm talking honestly about treatment-induced menopause, denial, fertility after cancer, toxic positivity, and why being unbelievably grateful to be alive doesn't mean we're not allowed to grieve what cancer took from us. There is, obviously, some light relief, including my ovaries taking early retirement, my rapidly disappearing tolerance for b******t, the absolute f*****g audacity of my new turkey neck, and why Instagram can keep its “second spring” for now. If cancer has thrown you into menopause before you were ready, this one's for you. You don't have to find the positive straight away. You don't have to be grateful every minute. You can sit in winter for a bit. Spring will come when you're f*****g ready. @lifeaftercancer_wtf

What does healing after cancer actually look like? Since quitting the job that kept me anchored to one of the unhappiest periods of my life, I’ve started to feel lighter. In this episode, I explore healing beyond the physical from prolonged stress and people-pleasing to reclaiming my autonomy and letting go of what I no longer want to carry. This isn’t about blaming ourselves for becoming ill or believing we can think cancer away. It’s about asking whether true healing also means understanding ourselves, releasing the past and choosing a healthier way to live. @lifeaftercancer_wtf

What if the thing you've spent months or even years fearing... never actually happens? Cancer changed my body, but more than that, it changed my brain. It taught me to brace for bad news, crave certainty and live in survival mode. But as I reflect on this new chapter of life after leaving teaching, building a business and learning to slow down, I'm realising the biggest lessons cancer taught me weren't actually about cancer at all. In this honest, unfiltered solo episode, I share the lessons I'm still learning every day: letting go of control, calming a nervous system that's been on high alert for too long, trusting that things can work out, and recognising the signs of post-traumatic growth. We talk about fear, money mindset, motherhood, healing, why calm really is a superpower, and how sometimes life quietly redirects us towards something better than we could have planned ourselves. If you've ever had a "Life After..." moment, whether that's cancer, grief, divorce, burnout, redundancy or simply waking up and realising the life you're living no longer feels like yours this episode is for you. Maybe the biggest lesson of all is this... What if it all turns out OK? follow @lifeaftercancer_wtf link in bio for life after cancer diaries

You've survived cancer... so why don't you feel like yourself anymore? In this deeply personal episode of Life After Cancer, Naomi shares the moment she finally realised that what she'd been feeling wasn't "just getting older" it was menopause after cancer. After standing in the middle of the Hacienda Classics in Manchester, surrounded by incredible music, sunshine and friends, she was struck by one overwhelming feeling: exhaustion. Then came the realisation that life no longer felt colourful. Everything had become... sepia. Naomi opens up about the side of menopause after cancer that nobody seems to talk about-fatigue, brain fog, losing your libido, vaginal dryness, feeling emotionally unplugged and grieving the version of yourself you used to be. She also dives into one of the biggest questions facing many women after hormone-sensitive breast cancer: Can HRT ever be an option? Exploring the latest evidence, the debate around modern body-identical HRT, quality of life versus recurrence risk, and why personalised conversations with menopause specialists matter so much, this episode isn't about telling you what decision to make, it's about helping you ask the right questions. If you've ever found yourself thinking, "I survived cancer... but I don't feel alive anymore," this episode is for you. Because surviving cancer shouldn't mean settling for a life lived in sepia tone. @lifeaftercancer_wtf

After a cancer diagnosis, it can feel like everyone has an opinion about what you should eat and how you should exercise. Cut out sugar. Go vegan. Eat meat, plants can kill you. Lift weights. Don't lift weights. Rest. Push yourself. It's exhausting. In this episode, I sit down with cancer exercise and nutrition specialist Kirsty Prosser to separate fact from fiction. We talk about what the evidence actually says, how to fuel your body during and after treatment, the role of strength training and movement, and why a balanced, sustainable approach is often the most powerful. If you've ever found yourself wondering, "Am I doing the right thing?" this episode is for you. Practical, reassuring and free from guilt or extremes. @kineticnw_cancersupport if you want to connect and work with Kirsty