Former Countryfile host Julia Bradbury has revealed she is contemplating a major move with her family following her cancer ordeal. The 51-year-old was left fearing for her life when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and underwent a mastectomy to remove a 6cm tumour.
Since then, Julia has embraced a complete lifestyle overhaul, determined to be as healthy as possible.
“My markers are regular checks, good sleep, low inflammation, feeling strong. I’ve improved my health and fitness month on month, year on year since 2021,” she told Woman’s Weekly Magazine.
As part of her transformation, the mother-of-three follows a sugar-free diet, swapping sugary cereals for protein-based alternatives and also largely avoids alcohol due to the risk of recurrence.
The presenter, who is back on screens with her new ITV show Julia Bradbury’s Wonders of the Frozen South, is now considering changes closer to home.
Julia calls Rutland home for many years, though currently lives in Notting Hill, West London, with her long-term partner, property developer Gerard Cunningham, and their three children.
Keen to pull her children away from screens and encourage them outdoors, she admits she has questioned whether London is the right place for their upbringing.
“I force it,” she said of getting her children outside. “My latest trick is ‘uppie badminton’ — an old shuttlecock, five odd-sized rackets and the aim is to keep it in the air. Sometimes the dog steals the shuttlecock, but it works.”
Opening up about a potential move, she added: “We talk almost weekly about whether London is the right place to bring up kids.”
Julia, author of Walk Yourself Happy, has frequently spoken about her deep connection to nature, describing walking as “a pillar of health”.
The Dublin-born presenter views the outdoors as a form of therapy that strengthens both body and mind – particularly during challenging times.
“It’s my best friend and it’s my outdoor gym. We human beings have evolved to be in nature,” she said during an appearance on Lorraine.
“One of the biggest health mistakes we make in our lives every day is that we don’t spend enough time outside.”
Julia has previously explained that London has suited her family due to her partner’s work and their children’s schooling. However, the capital’s pace of life is a stark contrast to the rural Rutland upbringing she remembers so fondly.
Speaking to House Beautiful, she said: “My childhood home was idyllic, peaceful and loving. I grew up in a quaint village in Rutland, the smallest county in England, in a 400-year-old rectory next to a church.”
Embracing her passion for the outdoors, Julia takes viewers on an unforgettable journey into the wild, untamed landscapes of the South Atlantic and Antarctica in her new series.
The presenter’s adventure also takes her towards the Falkland Islands, where she pushes through towering tussock grass to witness some of the region’s most breathtaking natural spectacles.
Immersing herself in island life, she herds and shears sheep to discover why the Falklands’ brilliantly white wool is so highly prized, before venturing even further south to come face-to-face with the colossal A23a iceberg.
Julia Bradbury’s Wonders of the Frozen South airs today at 12.45pm on ITV and ITVX