Great British Bake Off Star Karen Wright Reveals Bowel Cancer Battle
Former contestant Karen Wright shared an emotional update on Instagram, revealing her diagnosis and recent surgery, and was visited in hospital by a fellow baker.
Great British Bake Off contestant Karen Wright has announced she is battling colorectal cancer, also known as bowel cancer. The 68-year-old shared the news in an emotional post on Instagram on Monday.
Wright, who appeared on the Channel 4 series in 2018, posted a photo from her hospital bed, smiling alongside fellow contestant Terry Hartill. She wrote that after major surgery, Hartill drove across the country to visit her and "hold my hand." She described him as a "friend for life," noting that they have stayed in touch since their time on the show eight years ago.
Wright and Hartill were both eliminated in the fifth episode of their season. In her Instagram post, Wright indicated she had undergone colorectal surgery and suggested she was using a colostomy bag.
Fans and fellow contestants quickly offered well wishes in the comments section of her post.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second leading cause of cancer deaths, according to the article. More than 48,000 people are diagnosed with the disease annually in the UK, and it is now the leading cause of death in individuals under 50. Cancer Research UK estimates that over half of all bowel cancer cases in Britain are preventable. Common symptoms include persistent changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or constipation, a feeling of incomplete emptying, blood in the stool, unexplained stomach pain, bloating, weight loss, and fatigue.