Punam Krishan, the BBC TV doctor and former Strictly Come Dancing star, has shared the profound emotional toll of her breast cancer diagnosis, revealing she "cried in the car, I cried in bed, cried in the shower."
The 42-year-old, a familiar face on Morning Live, spoke candidly on the programme about still "navigating" life five months after her diagnosis, which she first disclosed on Instagram on Sunday.
Speaking on Friday’s episode, Krishan detailed the immediate aftermath of her diagnosis, explaining how she relied on a close circle of support. "I had my wonderful husband, my family, I had a small host of friends I trusted that allowed me the space to crumble and fall apart when I needed to," she said.
Amidst her tears, she found solace in nature and the companionship of her dog. "Nature became the biggest comfort for me, I’ve always loved nature, but I feel that when you’re going through pain, sometimes nature is the space that is big enough to hold you there," she reflected, adding that her dog provided the motivation to get "up and out every day."
In her Instagram post, Krishan confirmed she had completed treatment and was now "healing, grateful, relieved" yet "still shaken." She elaborated on Morning Live about the ongoing challenges post-treatment.
"Once you’ve come out of the treatment, that isn’t the end of it, and I think a lot of people think from the outside that once the treatment’s done, you’re ok, but you’ve got this newfound sense of identity," she explained.
"You’re learning to trust your body again, you’re learning to walk a new path, it’s got this hyper alertness and vigilance, and you’re just learning… the nervous system still needs time to calm down and be like, ‘you’re safe, you’re okay, everything’s going to be ok’, and we’re still navigating…"
The experience has profoundly impacted her professional perspective.
"I wish I didn’t have to go through that, but I think that having been on the other side of the consultation table, I’m looking forward to just getting back to really holding my patients again with a newfound like, ‘I get it, I get it’," she stated, expressing a "deeper understanding" of the impact a cancer diagnosis has on patients.
Krishan highlighted the dual shock and trauma of such a diagnosis, noting it extends beyond the individual to their family, partner, and friends. She praised the "incredible" care she received from the NHS.
"I am so blessed to have had the best NHS treatment, I know that people can moan about it, I work in the NHS, but my GP was incredible, she listened, she referred me, I was put on the urgent cancer pathway," she said.
She also lauded her "extraordinary breast care team and breast cancer nurse," and oncology teams for their "clinical expertise" and the "kindness and compassion" with which they supported her.
Krishan was the fifth celebrity to be eliminated from the BBC dancing show in 2024, where she was partnered with professional dancer Gorka Marquez.
The NHS advises that symptoms of breast cancer can include a lump or swelling in the breast, changes in breast skin, alterations in the size or shape of breasts or nipples, or persistent pain in the breast or armpit.
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