BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri shares incurable cancer diagnosis

BBC News reader Maryam Moshiri has opened up about her two year battle with incurable blood cancer.

The 49-year-old said she received the diagnosis in November 2024, and has been working through managing the treatment.

Speaking with The Times, she opened up about living with Polycythaemia vera (PV), a rare type of cancer that affects the bone marrow and makes the blood thicker than normal.

While the cancer cannot be cured, the mom-of-three noted that it can instead be managed as a chronic condition.

Moshiri opened up about the impact her diagnosis has had on her career, as she continues to play a prominent role at the BBC.

"I love what I do," she said, "I love being where the story is. I don’t want to allow blood cancer to stop me from doing my work."

Her continuous treatment involves having blood removed from her body, to reduce the amount of red blood cells.

But she is often left feeling exhausted by the care.

Moshiri recalled being sent home by the BBC while covering the death of Pope Francis in Rome.

"I was working 14-hour days, constantly on air, constantly having to think on my feet, and holding it together, despite the fact that I had this chronic tiredness and fatigue.

"When you’re doing live news, you have this rush of adrenaline, and you just have to get on with it."

When she's not delivering the nation's news, she's also a mom to three children, aged 13, 11, and 9, and admitted that the diagnosis has really taken it's toll in this area of her life.

"During my worst times when I was going through really quite gruelling treatment, I wasn’t there for my kids. I’d be lying on the sofa, and my son would say, ‘mummy, can you come play football with me in the garden?’ And you just can’t. You’re too tired."

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