I CAN’T tell you how brave I thought Victoria Derbyshire was over her breast cancer surgery.

The Ramsbottom-born journalist and TV presenter had a mastectomy following her diagnosis but, in true pioneering form, she created a video diary of her time in hospital and afterwards.

It wasn’t cosy viewing but it lifted the spirits as 47 year-old Victoria explained what she’d had done and how she felt. Amazingly, she was quickly back at work on her eponymous daytime programme and remains a remarkable poster girl for effective diagnosis and treatment of this common but deadly cancer.

It’s likely she will have dark days when she wonders about the future. Once you have crossed that divide into the world of people who have had a cancer diagnosis, life looks very different. But, she remains inspirational, for her approach and for appreciating that everyone deals with cancer in their own particular way.