Author Sophie Kinsella, 54, diagnosed with 'aggressive' brain cancer (2024)

Sophie Kinsella has opened up about having a ‘surreal’ few days after revealing that she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an ‘aggressive’ form of brain cancer.

The author, most known for penning the Shopaholic series, shared her health news in a statement on social media on Wednesday, explaining that she learned of her illness at the end of 2022.

The 54-year-old explained that she initially wanted to keep the news private while her family adapted to their ‘new normal’.

After being greeted by an enormous wave of support from fans, she shared an emotional new video on Twitter, thanking those who had reached out at such a tough time.

‘I just had to come on here and say a big thank you,’ she began the clip. ‘It’s been a surreal couple of days since I made my brain cancer announcement. Actually, it’s still kind of weird saying that out loud, saying brain cancer. I’m still not used to it.

‘What’s made me feel so much better is this amazing wave of love that I have felt from all of you lovely readers. It has just blown me away. I don’t know what I expected but I really was quite overwhelmed by how generous and warm and loving you have all been to me, and to my family.

‘It means the world to me, it really does.’

‘I feel very lucky that I am, first of all, in good enough health to be doing this,’ Sophie continued. ‘As you see me, I feel fit and well at the moment. Then I feel so doubly lucky to be surrounded by such love. That’s all I can call it.

‘I know that some of you are going through a similar disease, or your loved one is, or you’re just going through some hardship at the moment. I share in that. We’ll get through it together.

‘Meanwhile, just from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I was actually moved to tears by a lot of your responses.’

She ended the clip by vowing that she has read all the fan responses, insisting that they mean ‘everything’.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Glioblastoma is a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord, and can grow quickly to destroy healthy tissue.

Although it can occur at any age, Glioblastoma tends to occur more often in older adults.

Symptoms include headaches that keep getting worse, nausea and vomiting, blurred or double vision, and seizures.

Sophie spoke of her health issues for the first time earlier this week in a lengthy statement, which read: ‘To my dear readers and followers, I’ve waited a long time to share with you a health update and I’ve been waiting for the strength to do so.

‘At the end of 2022 I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer. I did not share this before because I wanted to make sure that my children were able to hear and process the news in privacy and adapt to “our new normal”.

‘I have been under the care of the excellent team at University College Hospital in London and have had successful surgery and subsequent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which is still ongoing.

‘At the moment all is stable and I am feeling generally very well, though I get very tired and my memory is even worse than it was before!’

She posted: ‘I am so grateful to my family and close friends who have been an incredible support to me, and to the wonderful doctors and nurses who have treated me. I am also so grateful to my readers for your constant support.

‘The wonderful response to the Burnout has really buoyed me up, during a difficult time.

‘To everyone who is suffering from cancer in any form I send love and best wishes, as well as to those who support them. It can feel very lonely and scary to have a tough diagnosis, and the support and care of those around you means more than words can say.’

Sophia concluded the message: ‘I’ll be in touch soon, and in the meanwhile, greetings from sunny London.’

Alongside the statement, she added: ‘To my dear readers and followers. I’ve wanted for a long time to share with you a health update and I’ve been waiting for the strength to do so.’

Sophie wrote her first novel, The Tennis Party, at the age of 24 and published it two years later under her real name, Madeleine Sophie Wickham.

Following this, she went on to release Swimming Pool Sunday, co*cktails for Three, Sleeping Arrangements and The Gatecrasher, before anonymously submitting a book under a pen name made up of her middle name and her mother’s maiden name.

She is best known for penning the Shopaholic novel series, releasing the Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic – aka Confessions of a Shopaholic – in 2000, following financial journalist Becky Bloomwood who struggles to keep a lid on her own finances, thanks to her love of all things shopping.

This was adapted into a hit Hollywood film in 2009, with Isla Fisher taking on the main role of Becky, alongside Hugh Dancy, John Goodman, John Lithgow, Joan Cusack and Krysten Ritter.

As well as the series, she has also authored Can You Keep a Secret?, I’ve Got Your Number, the Undomestic Goddess and released the Burnout last year.

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