Sunrise's Edwina Bartholomew shares emotional confession amid cancer battle

Sunrise’s Edwina Bartholomew has revealed why she has kept her cancer diagnosis a secret from her children. The newsreader announced live on the breakfast show in September that she had been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), a type of blood and bone marrow cancer.

Speaking about her health battle on the Stellar podcast Something To Talk About this week, the 41-year-old journalist gave an update on her condition and explained why she decided not to tell her children that she has cancer. Edwina shares two kids with her husband Neil Varcoe: Molly, four, and Tom, two.

“My kids are two and four, I never had to have the conversation with them, which is such a huge relief. So for them, there's no physical difference,” she detailed.

“I’m actually probably feeling better than I was, not as tired and taking care of myself better. So for them, there’s only a plus side – because I’m around more and probably more present than I was before, deliberately.”

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Edwina went on to say that she’s “really careful not to mention the word cancer” around her children or talk about her treatment, being sick or going to the doctor.

“When I’m with them it’s just this beautiful little world that belongs to toddlers, completely oblivious to what’s going on everywhere else,” she continued. “They wouldn’t have any idea at all. That’s a really, really beautiful thing.”

'Really emotional'

Elsewhere in the interview, Edwina admitted it was tough telling her parents about her diagnosis and they had a “really emotional discussion”.

“Watching dad find out was probably harder than watching mum, because I think dads are often quite stoic, aren’t they? It was really emotional,” she detailed.

“I was able to explain to mum and dad straight up the nuts and bolts and the practicalities of it, what would happen and the treatment – and that I had to have a biopsy to confirm it.”

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Edwina's rumoured new gig

It was reported last month that Edwina may be leaving Sunrise and moving to the newsroom, a role that would mean she wouldn't have to wake up in the early hours of the morning to get ready for work and could potentially be better for her health.

According to news.com.au, Edwina's move to the newsroom would depend on when 64-year-old veteran newsreader Ann Sanders - who has been presenting the news on Seven since 1988 - announces her retirement. They add that it would also be a cost-cutting move.

Yahoo Lifestyle has contacted Seven for comment.

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