Inside Jacquie Beltrao's home life with husband as she marks milestone amid cancer battle

Jacquie Beltrao has battled some tough opponents in her time - from performing as an at the 1984 Games to grilling some of sport's biggest names. Yet, for the popular and no-nonsense anchor, her 12-year fight against cancer has been her most daunting challenge.

Next Monday, April 21, marks a momentous occasion for Jacquie as she celebrates her 60th birthday - a landmark that comes five years after being diagnosed with stage four when it was discovered the illness had metastasised to her leg and spine. Speaking exclusively to OK!, she revealed how she never expected to reach this milestone, but thanks to Olaparib - a pioneering treatment commonly used by those with ovarian cancer - she is thriving, having been free of cancer for half a decade and is now ready to embrace her seventies in grand fashion.

Reflecting on her upcoming birthday, Jacquie opens up: "In some ways turning 60 can fill you with dread, sometimes you feel people can look at you differently, but there were days I never thought I would make it to this point given the severity of my cancer. But here I am."

Brimming with gratitude, she adds: "I feel truly blessed and ready to have a big party to celebrate life. I have always been a very positive person, trying to find the right mindset to approach life, but almost exactly five years ago when I was told my cancer had spread, it was very hard not to start planning a funeral. But instead, I was planning a 60th birthday. It's wonderful to be able to say that," reports .

Jacquie, warm and engaging, was in her stylishly renovated south-west London home she shares with her Brazilian beau Eduardo, 60. Their house exudes elegance with a colour palette of grey and dark blue, complemented by an eye-catching cream fireplace in the living area.

The dining room's wall boasts a proud display of their three adult children's graduation photos alongside artistic renditions of the family's beloved dogs.

Contemplating how her past as a top-tier gymnast - having competed for Great Britain in the 1984 Olympics - has influenced her approach to battling cancer, Jacquie believes: "It has definitely helped me. You have this belief and drive when you compete in elite sport."

She remains convinced that her Olympic experience has fuelled her confidence in facing cancer, asserting, "I'm sure the fact that I know I was in a tiny fraction of people who were able to compete for their country at an Olympics gave me some belief that maybe I could be in the fraction of people who survive long after a cancer diagnosis that I got. But I can't emphasise enough how lucky I feel."

Hailed as a fixture on breakfast television for over 30 years, Jacquie has become synonymous with Sky News' sports reporting during their morning show, witnessing firsthand some of the most thrilling moments in sports history. Her eyes sparkle with pride as she reminisces about her most cherished broadcasting memories throughout her distinguished 33-year tenure at Sky, a record matched by no one except Kay Burley, who stepped aside earlier this year.

"Oh my goodness, being at Wimbledon to see Andy Murray win it in 2013 was super special," she recalls with warmth. "I was surrounded by all these tennis aficionados in the press section and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. It was a privilege to see the first British man to win Wimbledon for 77 years.

"Equally, seeing the Lionesses win the Euros in 2022 was incredible. We were dashing in and out of the stadium to get ready to do a live broadcast as everything unfolded at Wembley. When they won 2-1, we were so happy. When I eventually finished my last broadcast at 11.30pm that night, I barely had a voice left."

Nevertheless, Jacquie understands that her role demands a "blinkered and focused" approach, with early starts at 3.30am from Thursday to Saturday for the Breakfast show, while life at home marches on. She shares her chic semi-detached abode with Eduardo, their residence for over a decade. There, they raised their family: Amelia, 27, who is a newsreader on TalkSport radio, and sons Tiago, 24, a promotions and publicity executive, and Jorge, 23, an oil and shipping analyst.

"There were days when if I made the kids' dinner, I would be doing well, such was the focus on the job," she wistfully reflects. "Given how early I get up, I need to get to bed early to get my sleep so often, while others are winding down for the weekend, I am winding up and focusing on work. But they have been so supportive of me and what has happened to me with my cancer has brought us even closer together. I couldn't have done it without them."

Jacquie was first diagnosed with cancer in 2013 after discovering a lump. Following a mastectomy and reconstruction, she was informed that the likelihood of the cancer returning within five years was just three percent - odds she considered "pretty damn good".

Exuding optimism, Jacquie recalls how she revamped her lifestyle to combat the illness, eliminating dairy from her diet, embracing yoga, and starting to run thrice weekly. Yet, during the 2020 lockdown, she detected a tiny lump beneath her collarbone.

Soon after, she faced the devastating news that her cancer had re-emerged, more aggressive than before. The diagnosis was stage four, and doctors told her it was incurable. "It hit me like a ton of bricks. I'd always been positive in my outlook, looking for good news, good outcomes and then it became very hard to see them," Jacquie says softly, as Eduardo gives her a comforting embrace.

"I didn't know where to turn. I would have some very dark thoughts. I remember looking up how long people live for from stage four cancer and it said a max of two years. I remember Eduardo couldn't come in to see the doctor with me, which was so hard for both of us, due to Covid restrictions. The kids not only had to deal with Covid and the lockdown, but they had to take in the news that mum's cancer was back. I still don't know what effect that will have on them. It must have been so hard."

A year later, her situation became even more challenging when a scan revealed the cancer had spread to both her legs and her spine. In total, she underwent 17 rounds of chemotherapy. However, it was a PARP inhibitor drug, which destroys cancerous cells, that brought about a change for her when she began taking it in 2021.

Jacquie discloses, "I started to take a targeted therapy drug called Olaparib. I was at a point where I would take anything that gave me a chance. For some it has little effect, for others it works for a while and then stops. But remarkably, for me it worked.

"The best way to describe it is to imagine your cancer as a three-legged chair and the drug comes in and knocks one of the legs down and collapses it. Within weeks of taking it, I noticed that my lymph nodes were down, I had a feeling my next scan would show the spread may have slowed.

"In June 2021, I had a scan and the doctor called me to say, 'You have very, very good results'. She informed me there's no evidence of the disease at all. I was astounded. She clarified that all of the tumours had disappeared on the scan, whereas eight weeks ago the cancer could be seen really prominently.

"She sent me over the scan and it was true, the evidence of cancer had vanished. It was all thanks to this miracle drug. I remember telling Eduardo, the boys and Amelia and there was an abundance of hugging and crying, pure joy and relief."

Since then, she has been free from cancer. Jacquie, who still undergoes regular check-ups, stated, "I've regained my life, I feel very blessed. Obviously, I'm aware that it could return at any moment as I have lived through that experience.

"I take two tablets of the drug twice a day and although it might sound odd, every time I extract them from the packet I feel grateful. And I am fearful to ever miss a dose as I know what they have done and are doing for me."