Josie Gibson: I found a lump and ‘got so paranoid’ I had my breast implants removed

When Josie Gibson found a lump in her breast, she was understandably frightened.

The TV presenter went straight to the doctor, and was relieved to be told the lump was connected to her breast implant, and was nothing sinister.

“I checked because I had a funny change in my breast – I had a lump coming out at the side,” she says. “So I went to the doctors and they checked, and luckily it wasn’t breast cancer, it was actually my implant.”

This Morning presenter Gibson, 40, had the implants put in about 10 years before, but reveals: “I got so paranoid that I had them out, and I tell you what, I felt amazing.”

Although the lump wasn’t breast cancer, the experience, in 2023, has made Gibson acutely aware of the disease, and she’s now teamed up with charity Breast Cancer Now and bingo brand tombola for their ‘eyes down, check up’ breast cancer campaign, through which she says she’s learned a lot.

“I’m not a doctor, but what I’ve learned is you’re looking for any changes in the skin, any dimpling, or any changes in the colour of breasts, any nipple changes, or crusting around the nipple, or any discharge and any changes in shape, if one breast looks bigger than the other,” she says.

“Before I got involved in this campaign, I was just checking for a lump – I didn’t realise all the other things to look out for.”

Although Breast Cancer Now says breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with one woman diagnosed every 10 minutes, research by tombola found fewer than half (44%) of women surveyed said they don’t check their breasts regularly, and one in 10 admitted they can’t remember the last time they checked their breasts.

“The statistics are frightening,” says Gibson. “Me and my friends have started making breast checking part of our conversation. I know nobody wants to talk about cancer, but even to get the conversation going, if you’ve checked, what have you found – is everything normal?

“When I got involved in this campaign I had a good old check – but why does it take a campaign for me to do that, why does it take a celebrity or somebody you know getting it or passing away? Why don’t we just have a good old check and make it part of our normal life?

“I know we look at the Big C as a bit of a taboo conversation, but I think sometimes we should make it part of the conversation, because that little conversation and those early spots could be life-saving.”

“I’m not consistent – that’s my only problem,” she says. “And that’s because in my life, there’s no routine. I don’t know where I’m going to be from one minute to the next, but I love it like that.

“I travel a lot, so I spend a lot of time not moving. Believe it or not, I know I look like I’m here, there, everywhere, but when I’m travelling to these destinations, I’m not moving, so that’s my biggest downfall.”

She jokingly suggests trains should have treadmills on them for people like her, declaring : “Oh my God, I think it would be a winner!”

Nevertheless, the busy working mum does try to find time to exercise and says she loves her local gym, where she does classes when possible. She also has “my own little routine”, which involves walking uphill, running and doing weights and sit-ups. “I love it!”, she declares.

She suffered from gout earlier this year, but doesn’t have it any more and admits it was brought on by living the high life when she was filming the Channel 5 show, Around The World In First Class.

“It was because I was flying all around the world filming the show, eating rich foods and drinking too much champagne. I was living too much of the high life, and when you’re five-star travelling, apparently it’s not very good for the gout!
She reevaluated her diet, and says she now loves all healthy foods. And while she likes cooking and “I don’t mind whacking something in the oven”, she can only cook if her schedule allows it. “It all depends where I am, what I’m doing, where I’m going to be, if I’m in a rush,” she explains.

But she cooks for Reggie, and says: “He loves a good old lasagne or pasta – he’s a real Italian eater.”

Her son is her passion, and she says: “I absolutely love being a mum. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very challenging – I’ve got patience where I never thought I had – parenting pushes your patience to the point where you didn’t even know it existed.

“However, he’s so loving, he’s so funny. He’s such a kind, nice little boy, and he’s an absolute pleasure. He’s one of the best things I’ve done. Now I wish I’d had five – but I would never be able to do it.”

With just the one child and despite a hectic work schedule, Gibson says she’s feeling healthy. “Touch wood, it’s all good. I feel I’ve got a lot of energy, and I feel good at the moment. Really good.”

And it’s just as well she’s feeling energetic, as in addition to having just completed a show called Taste of the West, about food in her native corner of England, and presenting segments on This Morning, Gibson is currently transforming a four-bedroom Eighties home in the West Country into her eco-friendly dream home – an ambitious  project which will be filmed for the ITV series Josie Gibson’s Big Country Build.

She also plans to live off the land, which has an orchard, and she says proudly: “I’m going to be a beekeeper and grow fruit and veg. It’s going to be a real little project – well, it’s not little, it’s going to be a big, big project for me.”

She’s going to temporarily move into a static caravan with Reggie when the renovation really kicks in, although she admits to being “a little tiny bit behind schedule” with the move.

“It’s going to be good, but it’s come with many, many challenges, and I am literally facing them all head-on,” she says. “I’ve done a lot of research – this has been my dream for years.”

To check your breasts, and help raise £1m for charity, use the Breast Check Now tool. For support, contact the free helpline on 0808 800 6000.