Kylie Minogue has spoken about secretly battling breast cancer for a second time in 2021 in her new Netflix documentary series
Kylie Minogue has spoken about secretly battling breast cancer for a second time in 2021 in her new Netflix documentary series Kylie Minogue has disclosed that she battled breast cancer for a second time in 2021, having previously triumphed over the illness back in 2005.
However, unlike her initial diagnosis - which became public knowledge almost immediately due to her being mid-way through a global tour - the pop icon managed to keep this recent health struggle entirely under wraps.
"I was able to keep that to myself and go through that year, not like the first time," she admits emotionally. "I've been trying to find the right time to say it - I just couldn't at the time. I was just a shell of a person.
"The Australian superstar experienced renewed success in 2023 when her Grammy-winning track Padam Padam "opened so many doors for me", yet she confessed to feeling conflicted about concealing such a significant personal ordeal. "On the inside I knew that the cancer wasn't just a blip in my life and I really just needed to say what happened so I could let go of it. "The bombshell announcement appears in episode three of her new Netflix documentary series Kylie.
When questioned about her decision to go public now, the performer explained it felt "important" to be honest.
"Thankfully I got through it again and all is well," she confirms. "Making this documentary has meant looking back at so many pivotal moments in my life and this was another one. I also know there will be someone out there who will benefit from a gentle reminder to do their check-ups.
"As part of my routine check-ups in 2021, I was diagnosed with a second primary breast cancer. Early detection was very helpful and I am so grateful to be able to say that I am well today.
"Writing a song became one way she dealt with it - Story, created alongside her long-standing collaborator Richard "Biff" Stannard. The 57 year old revealed she needed "something to mark it", adding: "When I started writing Story I knew one day I would share what the meaning behind the song was. Finding the right time to do so was tricky.
I didn't imagine it would be in a documentary but perhaps it found its own time and place", reportsSpeaking directly to those who might be avoiding follow-up appointments after battling cancer, she pleaded: "I get it; you just want to move on and put it in the past or park it to the side. But, check-ups are incredibly important.
It can be daunting and triggering but please be mindful of just how vital they are - and reach out for help if you need it, you're not alone.
"Her initial diagnosis arrived in 2005 while she was hoping to start a family with former partner, French actor Olivier Martinez. During the third episode, she opens up about choosing to postpone chemotherapy so she could undergo IVF treatment. She reflects: "There's so much more to cancer than you had it, you got through it and you're fine - or fine for now.
I was 36 when I got my diagnosis so already it's - you need to be thinking about children.
"Discussing motherhood - a dream she'd openly shared throughout the years - she reflects: "I did try. I even postponed my chemotherapy to try - which was quite scary at the time because you just want it out. Gone. I want to feel safe, I don't want this.
But yeah, I did try a few times with IVF, always it was with such a thread of hope. But I couldn't not try.
"If it had happened it would have been just shy of a miracle. But it didn't work out that way. One can't help but wonder what it would have been like - I'm so close to my family. But it wasn't my path.
" The documentary features Kylie reciting poignant words from a letter addressed to the child "that might have been". "Distant child, my flower, are you blowing in the breeze? " she ponders. "Can you feel me as I breathe life into you, wrapped in a blanket of hope, asleep on a bed of dreams?
My step into eternity is not what it might have been. Or not at all - for who knows which way the wind is going to blow? I'm waiting for your whisper.
"Contemplating Kylie's profound longing for children, her sister appears devastated on screen while considering how wonderful the singer is with her nephews, including Danni's 15 year old son. "I never saw myself as a parent," she confesses. "And she always did. That's heartbreaking.
" Dannii recalls the desperation she felt back in 2005, saying: "I remember saying, if I could chop off one of my arms now and this could all go away, I would. I just felt so helpless.
"Kylie underwent chemotherapy in Paris, where a pivotal moment occurred as she gazed at the Eiffel Tower beginning to illuminate. "I thought 'Oh, she's sparkling for me! ' And I thought 'I'm not finished. This is not where I want to say goodbye'.
"Following treatment, as Kylie gradually regained her energy, she was adamant about completing the global tour she'd begun. "I wanted to feel able again," she recalls. "But it wasn't easy, I felt so drained. I felt like my body was a battleground.
"Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan. This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows. Her second cancer diagnosis prompted Kylie's relocation from the UK to Melbourne in late 2021. She credits her family as her constant pillar of strength.
"I was saved - I really was," she states matter-of-factly. "Of course, you learn what resilience means and what love means. Having had cancer one important thing to know is - you're still the same person. I remember coming out at the other end and feeling more like myself than ever before.
"She's treasured the cards and notes from supporters worldwide, keeping them safely stored. "Those letters, in pretty dark moments, they meant so much. " The documentary also captures how, after being forced to withdraw from Glastonbury Festival due to her breast cancer diagnosis in 2005, she eventually graced the Pyramid stage in 2019, drawing one of the largest crowds in the festival's history. Reflecting on that moment, she admits she was incredibly anxious.
"I was terrified it would be like Spinal Tap," she laughs. Ultimately, it proved to be a spectacular success.
"It was such a wave of love," she says. "I had so much goodness from so many people who had willed me to reach that stage. " Contemplating that career-defining performance, she proclaims: "I think I might have done it. Little Kylie got there.
" Her close friend and collaborator Nick Cave explains her global appeal. "Her connection with the audience, it's not phoney," he says. "It is very real to her - it's a true form of love. " Regarding what lies ahead, Kylie reveals she intends to ease off slightly, though she admits she can barely manage three days without contemplating work.
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