Celeb Big Brother 2025: Trisha Goddard reveals touching reason she joined ITV show amid breast cancer battle

The 67-year-old became the third celebrity to enter the Big Brother house, following musician Chesney Hawkes and US singer and influencer JoJo Siwa. Other stars who joined the trio later included Patsy Palmer, Angellica Bell, Danny Beard and Mickey Rourke.

It was already known that Trisha, who hosted her iconic chat-show from the late 90s through until 2010, has been battling cancer ahead of her entry to the house. She revealed in 2024 that she had been diagnosed with treatable but not curable stage four breast cancer.

Trisha, who previously fought breast cancer in 2008 before being given the all-clear, revealed that her health status was a huge reason behind joining the cast of Celebrity Big Brother. The TV star, who has become the first ever Big Brother contestant to appear on the show while undergoing cancer treatment, said: “Well, I've been asked to do it every single year, and I've always thought, 'Are you kidding me?'

“Being on Big Brother would show people how you can live successfully with cancer and not be so scared of dying that you become scared of living. So that's why I'm doing it.”

The TV star, who has timed her Celebrity Big Brother stint perfectly so avoid any disruption in her treatment plan, added: “You talk to people and you say you have stage four metastatic cancer. But there's stage four and there's stage four. You can have a few cells and you're stage four. You can have cancer in your brain, your heart, you know, God forbid, and you're stage four.

“So people hear metastatic and they don't think about the fact that there are people with metastatic breast cancer being treated by my oncologist who have been around for twenty years. So it's a huge thing.”

Fans praised Trisha’s honest words during her entry on launch night, with many taking to social media to celebrate the star. One viewer said on X (formerly Twitter): “Trisha Goddard hopes to inspire the nation as she goes into the Big Brother House with cancer. I love that woman already.”

Another added: “#TrishaGoddard has incurable breast cancer but has a positive attitude to life. She is brave to be on TV being filmed 24 hours a day in her condition and I have nothing but admiration. It proves that illness should not define you. Best of luck to Trisha.”

Celebrity Big Brother continues at 9pm tonight on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV player.