Meg Mathews Reveals Secret Battle with Breast Cancer

Meg Mathews, 60, has disclosed her private struggle with breast cancer, revealing that she underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed in November 2024. The businesswoman, formerly married to Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher, described the decision to have the surgery as 'easy'.

Mathews received the diagnosis following a routine mammogram that detected three small lumps under her left breast. She was informed she had HER2-negative breast cancer. Despite the shock of the diagnosis, as she felt in good health, Mathews approached the situation with a determined mindset.

"I didn’t feel scared when I got the diagnosis. I just thought: 'I can’t break down and think: poor me'. I’m strong, I’m going to get through it," Mathews told The Sun. "I knew I had to stay positive because it could have gone the other way and I could have relapsed."

Mathews, who quit drinking in 2017 after a history of alcohol and substance dependency, stated that she did not believe her past lifestyle, which included drug use during the 1990s Britpop era, was a cause of her cancer.

Within days of her diagnosis, doctors discussed chemotherapy or radiotherapy as treatment options, but Mathews felt this was not the path she wanted. She informed her daughter, Anais, aged 26, about the diagnosis. In March 2025, Mathews opted for a double mastectomy and had her lymph nodes removed, choosing not to have immediate reconstruction.

Eleven days after the surgery, a pathologist confirmed she was cancer-free, negating the need for chemotherapy. Mathews shared that she did not struggle with the loss of her breasts, attributing this partly to having had multiple cosmetic surgeries. "I have had so many boob jobs, they didn’t feel like mine any more anyway. I’ve had five or six since the age of 30," she explained.

Mathews indicated that she plans to undergo reconstruction surgery in the future. She reflected that the health scare has given her a renewed perspective on life, feeling she has received a second chance after a 'colourful' life in the nineties.

Mathews and Noel Gallagher were a prominent couple during the 1990s Britpop era, known for their party lifestyle. Their 1997 wedding in Las Vegas ended in divorce less than four years later. Recently, Mathews and her daughter Anais have reflected on their contrasting lifestyles, with Anais pursuing a more conventional path as an influencer and art student, supported financially by her father but independent in her pursuits.

Mathews's daughter, Anais, previously recalled her parents' 'crazy' lifestyle and her own rebellion by becoming 'conservative'. She acknowledged that her family name has opened doors for her, but also emphasized her hard work in establishing her own career.

Breast cancer is a common cancer worldwide, affecting millions of women annually. Symptoms can include a painless lump in the breast or swelling in the armpit. Diagnosis typically involves a clinical breast examination, mammography, and biopsy. Treatment options may include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy, with outcomes generally better when the cancer is detected and treated at an early stage.