Strictly star talks ‘taking my next breath’ in sad admission after cancer news

The BBC Morning Live doctor shared an emotional update six months after being diagnosed with breast cancer

Dr Punam Kirshan has given fans an insight into what she has learned since being diagnosed with cancer. (Image: Instagram/@drpunamkrishan)

BBC’s Morning Live doctor Punam Krishan has delivered a heartfelt update about the lessons she has absorbed in the six months since receiving a breast cancer diagnosis. Initially left “shaken” by the devastating revelation, the health professional, who appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2024, courageously underwent treatment in January.

The Glasgow-born GP has now returned to her medical duties and informed her social media followers that she is recovering well. In a fresh update regarding what the diagnosis has revealed to her, Dr Krishan disclosed that learning she had cancer felt like being “hit by a bus”.

In an Instagram post, the 42 year old can be seen seated in her car following her shift. In the video’s caption, she stated: “Six months ago, I learned something I wish I’d known earlier. Control is mostly an illusion. Today is not.”

Contemplating her cancer experience, she explained: “I’ve just finished clinic for the day and I wanted to share something with you. I’m going to take you back to the moment I was told I had cancer, because I think that there is something in that moment that could be helpful to us all.

“And it’s something that I really wish I had known before that day. Something that maybe we can practise now so that we don’t have to wait for something awful to teach it to us.”

Strictly star Punam Krishan and underwent treatment (Image: Facebook Dr Punam Krishan)

Recalling the moment she received her diagnosis, Dr Krishan described it as the “worst day” of her life.

She continued: “Like literally rock bottom. It felt like being hit by a bus and I still fully can’t describe it. But in that second, every ounce of control I ever thought I had, it just disappeared.

“All the plans ahead, the job titles, the roles I carried-the things that I thought mattered so much suddenly, everything felt completely irrelevant. It genuinely felt like my heart had stopped.

“And in a moment like that, when everything feels frozen, the only thing that you’re actually left in control of is your next breath. That’s it. Just the next breath.”

The Strictly star, who openly admits to being a “huge control freak”, revealed that she found it particularly challenging to accept that her future was not entirely within her hands. Nevertheless, she came to understand that life carries on regardless.

Dr Punam Krishan opened up about her health (Image: Instagram Dr Punam Krishan)

She explained: “But then tomorrow came, and then there was another tomorrow. And although those days were so unbelievably hard, we got through them by focusing only on the next breath and the next step. Not the whole week, not the next six months or year-just the next thing.

“And yet, we live, we schedule, and we stress as if we do. All you really have here is today, and then the next thing that you can do within that. And strangely, that has been incredibly liberating for me. It didn’t come easily, but it’s become my philosophy now, my way of life.”

Whilst everyday habits such as work and being there for loved ones remain within our control, Dr Krishan encouraged her followers to release their grip on the broader aspects of life.

She finished by saying: “I mean, take it from me. Don’t wait until something stops you in your tracks to realise that we don’t have as much control as we think we do.

“So, with that in mind, just do today. Enjoy today. Rinse it for all that it is giving you, especially all the wee ordinary bits. And just let go of all the rest.”