BBC News presenter reveals she has blood cancer

BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri, a 49‑year‑old anchor who joined the corporation in 2003, disclosed that she was diagnosed with polycythaemia vera (PV) – a rare, treatable blood cancer – in November 2024. The condition, which causes the body to produce excess red blood cells and thicken the blood, carries heightened risks of clot‑related events such as stroke, heart attack and deep‑vein thrombosis. Moshiri explained that the diagnosis was caught early because her GP promptly investigated routine blood‑test results, and she chose to go public after two years of treatment to raise awareness of a disease that often presents with few symptoms.

Initially, Moshiri underwent a series of intensive venesections – needle‑driven blood‑letting sessions lasting an hour each – to reduce blood viscosity, enduring seven or eight procedures within five months. The treatment left her iron levels depleted, causing severe fatigue, hair loss, itching and a profound sense of exhaustion that persisted despite sleep. After transitioning to interferon immunotherapy provided by the NHS, the frequency of venesections dropped dramatically to just one in fifteen months, and she reported a marked improvement in her overall condition, though she acknowledges the disease remains incurable and requires lifelong management.

Despite ongoing fatigue, Moshiri has continued to anchor major BBC broadcasts worldwide, covering events from the US‑Israel conflict to the Vatican papal selection and a visit to Greenland by U.S. Vice‑President JD Vance. She credits her supportive husband, Jonathan, and her three children – Iris, 13, Vivienne, 11 and Caspian, 9 – for helping her navigate the illness, though she admits she can no longer attend every family occasion. Blood Cancer UK chief executive Helen Rowntree praised Moshiri’s openness, noting that blood cancers are the UK’s fifth most common cancer and often remain “silent” due to vague symptoms. Rowntree called for sustained public and governmental funding to develop kinder, more effective treatments, emphasizing the need for patients to live well with fewer side‑effects while managing work and family responsibilities.

⚡ Effects Interpreter