The Sunrise presenter said she’s been feeling ‘really well’ while she manages her chronic myeloid leukaemia.
Edwina Bartholomew has revealed she’s feeling much better nearly two years after being diagnosed with a rare cancer.
(Instagram/Edwina Bartholomew/Sunrise)
Edwina Bartholomew has provided a positive update on her health nearly two years after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).
The Channel 7 star first revealed her scary diagnosis in September 2024 during an episode of Sunrise.
She told viewers it was “a lot to wrap your head around” and that she would have to scale back her presenting duties to a few days a week to focus on her health.
CML is a rare type of cancer that attacks the bone marrow and can occur in people of “any age”, according to the Mayo Clinic.
But in an interview with TV Week, Edwina said she’s been feeling “really well” recently.
“I just can’t believe how lucky I’ve been, just unbelievably lucky,” she said.
“I responded straightaway to the medication. I haven’t had any side effects. I take it daily, and I will continue to do so for many years.”
She explained that some people who stop using their CML medication can see the condition recur.
By taking her meds every day, she said she felt reassured that the cancer would be kept at bay.
Last year, Edwina shared that she was almost in molecular remission, which meant the leukaemia had “essentially been eradicated” from her body.
Edwina Bartholomew’s major Saltash Farm project
The 42-year-old’s week these days is mixed with three days presenting at Sunrise and four days in Carcoar, a town in the NSW Central West.
Edwina and her husband, Neil Varcoe, are currently renovating a 19th-century building into a luxury hotel.
Saltash Farm was set to open this year, but those plans have been pushed back to March 2027.
While the hotel is still a bit away from its grand opening, the couple has launched a cafe and general store called The Village Grocer.
Even though Edwina’s cancer diagnosis came in the early stages of transforming the former Stoke Hotel into Saltash Farm, she and Neil said it “only made us more determined to build our hotel into a unique and beautiful regional destination”.
Neil has also been battling chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a long-lasting illness that makes physical and mental exertion difficult.
Edwina told TV Week that fighting these twin health issues while creating a hotel and raising two young kids has made them “stop and think about what’s important”.
“For us, this was a really important move and a decision that we made for our family. And the wonderful thing is we have the flexibility of work to make it happen,” she said.
“It’s been a chance to put our health first but also to be able to still do the things we absolutely love doing.”