BBC Breakfast guest breaks down in tears over daughter’s ‘scary’ cancer battle

A BBC Breakfast guest broke down in tears over her daughter’s “scary” cancer battle on Friday (November 14).

During today’s edition of the hit morning programme, hosts Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty updated viewers on the latest news from across the UK and around the world.

They were joined in the studio by Matt Taylor, who delivered regular weather forecasts, while Mike Bushell presented the sports segment.

Later in the show, Naga and Charlie introduced a heartbreaking story about a child’s cancer battle ahead of tonight’s Children in Need special.

Every year, the charity helps hundreds of thousands of children and young people when they need it most, giving them somewhere to go or someone to talk to.

BBC viewers will meet some of those children on tonight’s appeal show, including 10-year-old Kathryn. The bubbly and energetic child was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer two years ago after waking up feeling “really, really ill”.

“I felt scared. I was just thinking, ‘What’s going to happen to me?’” Kathryn said.

The child’s mum added: “Not only was her little body fighting the cancer, the chemotherapy was breaking down everything else as well.”

Becoming emotional as she reflected on her daughter’s illness, she went on: “It was very much living moment to moment. If I thought about it too much or thought too far into the future…”

She struggled to continue her sentence through tears, saying: “Sorry… She’s a very brave young lady.”

Kathryn went on: “Even if I just had a cold or a little bit of a cough, they would put me in isolation. I didn’t see anyone for six months really.”

In June 2024, Kathryn was cancer free and allowed to go home, but her challenges weren’t over. “When you come out of hospital, you just think it all through, like, ‘How did that happen?’” she said.

Kathryn needed more support, and thanks to Children in Need donations, Anne from a children’s cancer charity has been helping the youngster over the past year.

She often visited Kathryn at home, using play therapy to work through the trauma of her major illness.

“[Kathryn] is so confident now in herself, and that’s down to Anne,” Kathryn’s mum shared, with Kathryn concluding: “Anne’s helped me so much. She’s not just now my therapist, she’s now my friend.”

BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am, while Children in Need will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7pm on Friday (November 14)