Judith Lucy is one of Australia’s best-known comedians and performers, with a long career that includes stand-up, books, radio and television. She starred in the 2015 ABC series Judith Lucy Is All Woman and has appeared on shows including Rove and The Project.
Recently Judith Lucy has announced she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, sharing the news in a characteristically frank and joke-filled video posted to Instagram captioned “If you’ve been wondering why I haven’t been posting much personal stuff the last couple of weeks. Here’s your answer. Strap in.”
She said she received an email from BreastScreen Australia about three weeks earlier notifying her that a mammogram result was “a bit weird.” She used the moment to urge other women to stay up to date with screening: “Ladies, for the love of God, keep up with your mammograms.” She then put it plainly: “Long story short, I’ve got breast cancer.”
Lucy said she had held off going public until she comprehended the situation better. She went in last Friday for a planned lumpectomy, only for further cancer to be found by a doctor she insists is genuinely named Dr Fun. The plan shifted from a lumpectomy to a mastectomy, scheduled for the following Friday. She elected to have both breasts removed. “I said, while you’re there, let’s get rid of the other one because, you know something, I have had 40 years of, if I do say so myself, large and spectacular breasts. You had your chance, fellas,” she said. “So I think I’m quite fine with going bra-free for my last chapter, and my last chapter is going to be very long and healthy.”
She described the cancer as relatively early-stage and relatively non-aggressive, adding that she was “in shock, but I’m OK,” and promising she would be “keeping you abreast of everything, Australia.”
Lucy’s new book, Well Well Well: My Wellness Odyssey from Psychics to Psychedelics and Beyond, had only just been released. In the video, she played into the irony, saying there is “nothing like releasing a book about wellness as you’re being diagnosed with breast cancer,” and pointing out that the book’s point is that there are no quick fixes. The announcement also referenced ongoing health issues that had already taken her away from regular stand-up; she moved back from comedy in 2022.
Reporting on the video has noted she was dealing with faecal transplants connected to an earlier illness around the time the mammogram result arrived.
Fellow performers quickly responded on social media. Comments reported in coverage included Celia Pacquola calling her “the most spectacular woman with [or] without those 10/10 knockers,” Geraldine Hickey joking that it would be “a weight off your chest,” and messages of support from Dave Hughes and writer Ben Law, among others.
Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia and the most common cancer among females. Every year, over 3,300 people in Australia (including 40 men) will die from breast cancer. Breast cancer incidence is increasing, with 1 in 7 women and around 1 in 600 men expected to be diagnosed in their lifetime.
