Inside Lucy Davis’ brave battles with diabetes & kidney failure after The Office star diagnosed with incurable cancer

ACTRESS Lucy Davis revealed today she was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer – the latest in a long health battle The Office star has faced. Lucy, 53, confirmed the news of her cancer in an emotional social media video. The Office star Lucy Davis, 53, reveals she’s been diagnosed with incurable breast cancer Credit: Alamy Lucy played Dawn Tinsley in Ricky Gervais’ The Office Credit: BBC The Office star admitted she was first diagnosed 18 months ago and confirmed that despite treatment it is incurable – but it is far from the first health battle she has fought. Long before revealing her recent stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis, Lucy had already endured decades of severe, life-threatening health struggles away from the spotlight. Sign up for the TV newsletter Thank you! The brave TV and film star was diagnosed with kidney failure in 1993 and has battle diabetes for years. Doctors told the actress she would need a new kidney after a routine medical before her performance in a production of Pride and Prejudice. But despite the actress spending many years on the organ donation waiting list, doctors failed to find a suitable donor. Her mother, Hazel, immediately stepped forward as a living organ donor, saving the young actress’s life with a kidney transplant operation in December of that year. Recovery brought further medical complications, as Lucy developed insulin-dependent diabetes during her post-transplant care. But Lucy chose to face the new diagnosis head-on rather than succumb to self-pity. Most read in TV The actress was seen putting on brave face Credit: Instagram/reallucydavis Lucy told her fans the sad news today after first being diagnosed 18 months ago Credit: instagram/reallucydavis Early on, steroid medications caused significant fluctuations in weight and appetite, forcing the young actress to grapple with drastic changes to her physical appearance alongside severe exhaustion. But rather than letting the chronic illness stall her career, Lucy adapted quickly and worked with campaign groups like Diabetes UK to promote vigilance and health management. She has also spoken candidly about the relentless planning required to stay well, managing insulin and, carrying glucose tablets. Sadly, Lucy’s health troubles resurfaced around Christmas in 2005, when Davis was rushed back to hospital following a second acute bout of kidney failure. She recovered from the relapse and continued to manage both her kidney health and diabetes while expanding her acting career and speaking out about her personal struggle with an eating disorder. Brave Lucy had also once battled bulimia and went through years of yo-yo dieting. She revealed in 2017 how she had struggled with her weight in the past. Lucy, 44, said: “In my 30s, I would have hated to look like this. I probably wouldn’t have gone out much. I’d diet for a week and then eat all the food I hadn’t consumed in the previous seven days in a single day.” Lucy (pictured here in 2024) has bravely fought against diabetes and kidney problems for years Credit: Getty She has also bravely battled bulimia Credit: Unknown Her bulimia battle peaked around 2011, as her five-year marriage to fellow actor Owain Yeoman came to an end. Lucy, born in Solihull, viewed her eating disorder as a solution to her relationship woes, becoming trapped in a cycle of starving and gorging which led her to join Overeaters Anonymous. But she revealed after a battle lasting years that she had overcome bulimia and said she could at last feel comfortable in her own skin. The TV star admitted she “doesn’t know how long she has left” in her cancer announcement on Tuesday. Lucy told her fans that she’s at peace with “whatever comes next,” as she shared the clip of her ringing the cancer treatment bell. In a post about her incurable cancer she wrote on Tuesday: “Hi friends:) I wanted to share something with you all that I’ve kept to myself for a while but for various reasons would like to share now. “A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, which has metastasized to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo. “The initial lump that I felt, wasn’t a ‘lump’ as such; rather a kind of hard spot. Really tiny. “I almost didn’t bother getting it checked. So I guess I’m saying don’t ignore anything – get everything checked out:” While she rang the bell, Lucy confessed she has been told by doctors it’s “too late” for her to receive Chemotherapy. Lucy is best known for playing Dawn Tinsley in Ricky Gervais’ comedy The Office. Dawn was a receptionist at Wernham Hogg’s Slough branch in the original UK version of The Office. Lucy later went on to star as Etta Candy in the Marvel film Wonder Woman and The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina.