Lisa Faulkner has shared a sun-kissed Instagram photo alongside husband John Torode while on a beach holiday following her breast cancer surgery.
The 54-year-old television star slipped into a leopard print swimsuit for the beach upload on Monday, while her Australian chef husband, 61, wore vibrant blue and white shorts.
The relaxing break comes just months after Faulkner revealed her diagnosis with early-stage breast cancer, having taken a break from social media to undergo treatment.
Breast cancer diagnosis and surgery
Faulkner announced her diagnosis last month, explaining that she had undergone an operation two weeks prior to her public message.
Addressing her followers online, Faulkner said: "I know I've been very quiet on here, reason being I have had to have surgery for the early stages of breast cancer."
She added: "I had surgery two weeks ago, it was quite a big op but it's all good and I've my results back and they've got everything out. So it's all clear and I just need now to have some radiotherapy in a few weeks."
Faulkner reassured fans about her recovery, noting that she was feeling much better after receiving her test results. "I just wanted to say I've got a bit of healing to do but I'm good. I'm well and feeling so much better and I'm so grateful I went for my mammogram," she said.
She urged others to attend routine screenings without delay. "I just wanted to say don't put them off, go, because they found this and without that mammogram it wouldn't have been picked up," she said, adding: "Thank you to our wonderful NHS and the fact we can have these mammograms and we can get treatment early."
Tribute to John Torode
The holiday post follows a touching birthday tribute Faulkner shared on social media last week for her husband, thanking him for supporting her through her health battle.
Referencing the recent times of strife, she wrote: "Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband @johntorodecooks I hope you have the best day my best friend... What a year it’s been but we held each others hands and I couldn’t have got through these past few months without you by my side..."
She continued in her message: "You are the kindest man with the gentlest biggest heart and you make my heart thump. I look forward to a birthday coffee in our spot in the garden I love you my Johno and so does [our dog] Rory."
Career background and marriage
Faulkner is an English actress and author who first gained prominence in television dramas including Brookside, Holby City, and EastEnders before expanding her career into cooking and writing.
The couple first met in 2010 when Faulkner participated in and won the BBC culinary contest Celebrity MasterChef, where Torode has served as a judge and co-presenter alongside Gregg Wallace since 2005.
They began a romantic relationship a couple of years after their first meeting and subsequently married in October 2019.
Breast cancer screening in the United Kingdom is provided by the National Health Service, which offers mammograms to detect early changes in breast tissue before symptoms appear. Follow-up treatments such as radiotherapy utilize targeted radiation to eliminate remaining abnormal cells following surgery.
