Adele Roberts says she feels ‘touched’ and ‘honoured’ to have the opportunity to spend time with Maggie’s CEO Dame Laura Lee following her own battle with cancer

Adele Roberts has said she is an “honour” to be part of the National Lottery’s 30th birthday celebrations in support of cancer charity Maggie’s.

The 45-year-old TV personality confessed she felt “moved” during her meeting with the cancer charity’s chief executive of 28 years, Laura Lee.

Adele, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021, has been a supporter of Maggie’s for several years. She met with Laura to discuss the importance of Maggie’s centres across the UK, which have received over £3 million in National Lottery funding.

Adele said: “As someone who has personally experienced the challenges of cancer and witnessed the incredible work of charities like Maggie’s, I am deeply honoured to support the National Lottery’s celebration of these extraordinary individuals who are making a difference in the lives of their communities.”

“Spending time with Laura Lee and seeing the care and commitment she brings to her work was deeply moving.

“Laura and the other Game Changers are truly inspiring and it is an honour to be part of an initiative that shines a light on the positive change they are making in so many lives.

“The National Lottery has played a pivotal role in making these stories possible and I am proud to help celebrate its 30th birthday in such a meaningful way.”

The idea for treating cancer was born in the mind of Maggie Keswick Jencks, who had been struggling with advanced cancer for two years and came up with the idea of ​​a different type of treatment.

She passed away in 1995, but Laura, who was a nurse and friend of Maggie’s, worked with Maggie’s family to make her vision a reality.

To celebrate 30 years since the first draw in 1994, the National Lottery is paying tribute to 30 inspiring individuals – the Game Changers – who have achieved incredible things in the UK over the past 30 years, supported by funding from the National Lottery.

28 Game Changers will be showcased across four installations in September and October, which will focus on National Lottery-funded areas including arts and film, heritage, sport and community.

The winners of the two Game Changers will be announced at The National Lottery’s New Year’s Eve Big Bash, which will be broadcast on ITV on 31 December.

For 30 years, the National Lottery has been transforming lives every day by funding thousands of projects that help build resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities and create healthier, happier lives in a developing society.

David Knott, Chief Executive of The National Lottery Community Fund, added: “Celebrating 30 years of The National Lottery is a momentous occasion and there is no better way to do so than by paying tribute to the extraordinary people who have transformed the game in their communities across the UK. This is all thanks to three decades of support from National Lottery players.”

At the National Lottery Community Fund, we believe it all starts with the community. Every three minutes a community shares a dream with us, and every eight minutes we award a grant to help make those dreams a reality.

“We are thrilled to showcase these powerful stories and hope this amazing installation will inspire even more people to see the difference National Lottery funding can make in their own communities.”

Adele was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in October 2021. She has documented her treatment on social media, which included a colostomy to remove a bowel tumour and the placement of a stoma bag.

Nine months after diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Adele has been declared cancer-free and now lives with a stoma bag, which she named Audrey.

When she was diagnosed, Adele learned the tumor had been growing for a decade. Her symptoms included a bloated belly, loss of appetite, and lethargy.

Adele took part in Dancing On Ice 18 months after completing her second round of chemotherapy, saying her aim was to raise awareness for people with stomas.

She said: “I wouldn’t do Dancing On Ice without a stoma. I’m not a dancer. I’m not an artist. I don’t do make-up and pretty things.

“Having a stoma, showing what’s possible, helping kids, starting a conversation, reducing stigma.”

The decision comes after Adele revealed that a cancer diagnosis and having a stoma helped her feel better about her body.

She said: “I haven’t cried for most of my life. I remember Kate saying when I had the tumour removed, ‘It brought the light back into my eyes.’

‘AND I truly believe that having the tumor removed has freed me from so much negativity. and so much self hate and I’m so happy that part of me is gone now because I now allow myself to be the person I was always supposed to be.

“And crying is part of it, it’s not weakness, it’s strength. I wouldn’t wish cancer on anyone, but it gave me this (strength).

“I am grateful not only that my stoma saved my life, but also that it helped me develop a better relationship with my body.”

She added: “I just didn’t like myself when I was younger and having a stoma, I could look at it as the most wonderful thing I had, it kept me alive. The moment I got it, I thought I had been stupid for all those years.

“When I first saw my stoma, it was almost like I could see myself for the first time in my life. It was emotional and I thought I was complete.

“It will be the loss of my stoma when it goes back to the way it was. My fear will be a reminder of what happened and where I have come.”