Adele Roberts praises NHS after ‘concerning’ lump removed from her neck

Presenter and reality TV star Adele Roberts has said she is “absolutely buzzing” after learning that a “concerning” lump removed from her neck was benign.

The broadcaster, who has set the fastest aggregate time for a woman to complete all World Marathon Major races with a stoma bag, praised the NHS and said she was put on the waiting list for removal just before the Sydney Marathon in August.

Roberts was fitted with a stoma bag,  which attaches to her abdomen and collects her faeces, following treatment for bowel cancer, which she was diagnosed with in 2021.

Roberts shared photos of her neck to Instagram, post operation, and another image of her in a hospital gown.

She said: “Thank You NHS. What a week so far – it’s only Wednesday and I’ve already had a camera up my bum, an enema (that I thought would NEVER END) and some test results that I’ve been worried about since summer.

“Thank you to everyone who’s been sending me messages recently (noticing my array of plasters and patches).

“I didn’t want to say as it’s something I’ve been worrying about… but at the start of summer I got a concerning lump on my neck… which wouldn’t go away and then it grew into a bit of a monster.

“Nobody knew what it was and it wasn’t responding to treatment so I had to have it looked at by a specialist and removed.

“With my recent health troubles and knowing you can never take anything for granted… it has been playing on my mind.”

She added: “I was put on the waiting list for removal just before the Sydney Marathon… so it’s been on our minds for a while… but all that running helped me so much and gave me a way to channel my feelings, stay positive, and think of all the people we were raising money for.

“It turned a worrying time into a very happy time.

“Even though I’ll have a wonky scar on my neck. I’m proud of it… and grateful.

“It’ll be my newest piece of body art! My newest piece of Kintsugi. A Japanese term ‘celebrating and embracing imperfection. Treating healing as an essential part of the human experience'”.

Roberts added that she was “absolutely buzzing” after her test results from the dermatology unit showed the lump was benign.

She also said the hospital were unable to get a clear reading after an endoscopy and said she will be back for “round two” soon.

She said: “Hoping there’s no new growths hiding down there and I can leave the NHS alone for a bit.

“If you’re reading this and you’re worried about anything please speak to someone. Early detection saves lives.”

Roberts, who was a BBC Radio 1 presenter, left the station after eight years in 2023 and competed on ITV show Dancing On Ice in 2024.