A popular radio presenter has announced their heartbreaking cancer diagnosis live on air.
Mix 102.3’s Ali Clarke, who co-hosts Max & Ali in the Morning with Max Burford, revealed to listeners on Tuesday that she will take a break from the show as she undergoes treatment.
‘It was important to tell our listeners because I have had the privilege of them trusting me with their stories and so I trust them with mine,’ she explained.
‘I also know that so many of our listeners have either lived through having cancer or know someone who has … even worse there will be lots of people who might have listened this morning or are reading this who have lost someone they love to this awful freaking disease. Over the last few weeks, I’ve thought of their loss a lot.’
Ali then asked one of her co-hosts to hold her hand before bravely making the devastating announcement.
‘But the long and the short of it means that I am going to have a full mastectomy. Which if you’re playing at home that means they’re taking one of my boobs. And if I’m truly honest, it’s probably been that bit that’s been much more confronting than I ever thought it will be,’ she continued.
‘I thought it was very small and manageable. But found quite a lot of small little cancers. And so that means that I’ll be going in for some pretty big surgery later this week, and I’ll have to take some time off to recover as you can imagine.
‘You know, you know me it’s I’ve never dressed skimpily like I’ve never put my boobs on display. They’ve absolutely been functional. In fact, when I was growing up, you know, they almost got in the way of playing sport.’
Ali Clarke, who co-hosts Mix 102.3’s Max & Ali in the Morning with Max Burford, revealed on Tuesday that she will take a break from the show as she undergoes treatment for breast cancer
The radio host then broke down in tears as she emotionally opened up about ‘losing a part’ of herself.
‘I’ve really battled with myself, between being angry at myself for almost feeling vain about losing a part of me,’ Ali added.
‘But when I sit back and try to reason with it, I’m about to lose a part of me that society has forever told me actually makes me a woman and it’s absolutely necessary, and the other biggest part of my brain knows that this is really what needs to happen for me to be good.’
Despite the heartbreaking diagnosis, Ali admitted she is ‘so freakin’ lucky’ with the quality of healthcare she’s received so far.
Ali then asked one of her co-hosts to hold her hand before bravely making the devastating announcement
The radio host broke down in tears as she emotionally opened up about ‘losing a part’ of herself
According to the Adelaide Advertiser, two women have already been approached to take Ali’s position while she is on leave.
In January, Ali’s Mix 102.3 breakfast radio program underwent a major change following reports The Kyle and Jackie O Show’s rumoured expansion to Adelaide would see it axed.
The program is changing its name from The Ali Clarke Breakfast Show to Max & Ali in the Morning after Max Burford joined the team last year.
In January, Ali’s Mix 102.3 breakfast radio program underwent a major change following reports The Kyle and Jackie O Show’s rumoured expansion to Adelaide would see it axed. Pictured: Ali Clarke (R) and Max Burford
Burford, who is also a presenter at Channel Ten in Adelaide, has brought his knowledge of sport and local news to the team.
The full team now consists of host Clarke and Burford, alongside Shane Lowe and Eddie Bannon.
In August 2023, Mix 102.3 managed to top the radio ratings survey in Adelaide with 376,000 weekly listeners.
The Ali Clarke show scored an 11.2 per cent audience share, making the second most popular breakfast show in Adelaide.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk