Kylie Minogue has sensationally revealed she battled cancer for a second time in 2021 following a diagnosis and successful treatment for breast cancer in 2005.
The Australian pop princess revealed the secret second diagnosis after a regular check-up in the new Netflix documentary titled Kylie which is available to watch on the platform from Wednesday.
The 57-year-old admitted she struggled “to find the right time” to share it with the world, especially after the huge success of her 2023 Grammy-winning single Padam Padam.
She also said she felt like “a shell of a person”.
“My second cancer diagnosis was in early 2021. I was able to keep that to myself … Not like the first time,” she said, referring to her highly publicised first treatment.
“Thankfully, I got through it. Again. And all is well. Hey, who knows what’s around the corner, but pop music nurtures me … my passion for music is greater than ever.
“I don’t feel obliged to tell the world, and actually, I just couldn’t at the time because I was just a shell of a person.
“I didn’t want to leave the house again at one point. Padam Padam opened so many doors for me, but on the inside, I knew that cancer wasn’t just a blip in my life. And I really just wanted to say what happened so I can let go of it. I’d sit through interviews and every opportunity I thought, ‘now’s the time’, but I kept it to myself.”
She said her song Story, from her album Tension, refers to that time of her life, with lyrics such as “I had a secret that I kept to myself … Turn another page, baby take the stage.”
Minogue said of Story: “I needed to have something that marked that time.”
The actress also said she hoped her speaking out served as a reminder to people to get routine health check-ups.
“There will be someone out there who will benefit from a gentle reminder to do their check-ups… Early detection was very helpful, and I am so grateful to be able to say that I am well today,” she said.
It comes after Minogue was 36-years-old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005.
She was forced to cancel the rest of her Showgirl Greatest Hits tour and pulled out of the Glastonbury festival to undergo treatment in Melbourne.
Like many celebrities, Minogue was popular with the media, so much so that the Victorian Premier at the time, Steve Bracks, had to remind paparazzi and journalists of the laws around harrassment.
Minogue was deemed cancer free in 2008.
The Kylie documentary comes out in three parts and is directed by Michael Harte, who edited Netflix’s four-part documentary on David Beckham.
As well as Minogue, it features interviews with her sister Dannii, and former duet partners Jason Donovan and Nick Cave.
She also opens up about her former love and INXS frontman Michael Hutchence.
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