Julia Bradbury posted a video to social media in which she stood naked in a shower, covering her modesty with her hands, as she celebrated her new book Hack Yourself Healthy reaching No.1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list.
The 55-year-old Countryfile presenter shared the clip on Instagram, saying the moment — filmed by one of her children — was a "mini life-changing moment". In the post she wrote: "OMG No.1 !!!! I can't believe, in its week of release, Hack Yourself Healthy has made it to Number One in the Sunday Times Best Seller's list." She thanked her publishers, co‑writer Missy Oliver, family, contributors and readers, and added: "Let's keep Hacking Ourselves Healthy."
Bradbury has spoken extensively in recent years about how a breast cancer diagnosis in September 2021 changed her approach to health. She underwent a mastectomy to remove a 6cm tumour and has since documented her treatment and recovery in programmes including Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer and Me. On Wednesday's edition of The One Show she gave viewers an update on recent tests, saying doctors had found a cyst on her brain during a full body MRI but that it was "nothing to worry about". She also said a separate ovarian finding had been checked and cleared.
The presenter described how her diagnosis prompted a deeper interest in prevention, monitoring and lifestyle changes. She told The One Show that she gave blood and stool samples, underwent full body ultrasound and MRI scans, and has taken a polygenic risk score (PRS) test — which examines small variations in DNA called SNPs — under the guidance of Professor Gareth Evans at the Manchester Biomedical Research Centre. Bradbury has called the PRS test "life‑saving" for helping to assess risk of recurrence and has advocated for wider availability of PRS and SNP testing on the NHS.
"When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it changed my life," she said in social posts and broadcast interviews. Bradbury said the test showed a slightly higher genetic risk for recurrence and that the information helped her and her medical team make "more informed decisions about treatment, ongoing monitoring, and lifestyle changes." She has urged a shift toward preventive care, saying earlier knowledge of risk would allow people to take earlier action.
Bradbury has also discussed the emotional impact of the diagnosis and treatment. She said the moment of hearing the words "you've got cancer" is often life‑altering and described feeling "empowered" by learning more about sleep science, nutrition and the role of nature in health. In recent posts she has shown aspects of her post‑surgery body, arguing that openness about such experiences can encourage preventive screening and awareness.
Breast cancer is among the most common cancers worldwide. Reports cited in media coverage note that in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases each year and about 11,500 deaths annually; in the United States the disease affects roughly 266,000 people a year and accounts for about 40,000 deaths. Medical responses to diagnosis commonly include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapies, alone or in combination, and decisions on treatment often reflect stage, grade and individual risk factors.
Bradbury's social media post combined personal celebration with public health advocacy: she thanked the publishing team at Piatkus Living, her co‑writer and contributors, and highlighted reader messages reporting lifestyle changes inspired by the book. Hack Yourself Healthy, released this month, aims to translate insights from Bradbury's health journey into accessible advice on prevention and wellbeing.
Her announcement arrives as she continues to use her platform to promote early screening and genetic risk assessment, framing her own experience as a case for more personalised, preventive approaches in health care. The bestseller news is the latest development in a sustained public campaign by the presenter to raise awareness of breast cancer risks, testing options and the potential value of expanded NHS access to genomic risk tools.