Sunrise host Natalie Barr has shared that she is undergoing treatment for skin cancer.
Revealing the news on the June 25, 2024, Sunrise segment, the 56-year-old shared, “I had a pimple on my nose that wouldn’t go away, plus I reckon it had been [a] couple of years since I had a skin check, so I went to a dermatologist.”
After taking a small biopsy, Natalie’s dermatologist confirmed her skin cancer diagnosis. Fortunately for the host, she shared, “The good thing is I got it really early and there’s not much treatment,” adding that her “tiny little dot” will be able to be treated non-surgically.
The host also revealed in her segment that her skin cancer was diagnosed with the help of a spectroscope, an infra-red AI-assisted skin cancer imaging device, which allowed her dermatologist to detect and treat the three-millimetre legion.
Reflecting on her diagnosis, Natalie told co-host Matt Shirvington, “You sort of go, ‘Oh my god, so many Aussies. Millions and millions of us have skin cancer, but it does make you think.”
“So many of us think, ‘I should get skin cancer checks,’ but it has been a few years since we all did it because we all live in the sun,” she continued, with fellow Sunrise host Edwina Bartholomew booking her next skin check appointment while on-air.
Alongside many other prominent Australian stars, Natalie has used her diagnosis to spread awareness about the importance of regular skin cancer checks.
Also raising valuable skin cancer awareness is fellow Australian media personality Jackie ‘O’ Henderson – recently collaborating with Australian SPF brand Naked Sundays for their annual ‘Giving Melanoma the Cold Shoulder’ initiative.
Sharing her diagnosis in 2019, Jackie revealed that she had undergone treatment for a basal cell carcinoma located on her forehead,
“I’ve had heaps cut out before … A lot of skin cancers you don’t see. You might not think it’s a skin cancer, you might think it’s just a blemish,” she shared on The Kyle & Jackie O Show, encouraging listeners to be diligent with regular skin health checkups.
