A 37 year old Jessie J was back to her brilliant best on Saturday where she returned to the stage just 11 weeks after undergoing a mastectomy as a result of an ongoing battle with breast cancer.
The singer, who often refers to herself as an Essex girl, took the stage at ‘BBC Radio 2 In The Park’ in an emotional return to performing. This is all in the face of an ongoing battle with cancer and a second surgery scheduled this Autumn.
The Daily Mail reported that addressing a packed crowd she said “I’m just so grateful to be here, you have no idea how grateful I am to see so many of you singing along after all these years.”
“Life is about standing in the storm but holding up your umbrella and just keep moving forward.”
“We never know when our last day will be, so soak this up, hug the people you love hard.”
As well as this, the day was special for the singer for another reason. It was the first time her son witnessed her sing on stage. 2 year old Sky was backstage for the gig. On such a monumental occasion, it is a wonder how she managed to stay professional and deliver a wonderful show, but that is a testament to her determination and grit.
At the end of August the singer-songwriter announced that she would be postponing the UK and European dates for her acoustic tour due to start next month. In an Instagram post she explained: “Unfortunately I have to have a second surgery — nothing too serious but it has to be done by the end of this year,” Jessie, 37, said. This falls in the middle of the tour I had booked. I’m so sorry, I feel frustrated and sad, but I need to be better, I need to be healed.”
The tour which was set to take place in October 2025, is now scheduled for June next year. The dates are as follows:
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April 7 – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
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April 8 – London, The Palladium
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April 11 – Leeds, O2 Academy
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April 13 – Manchester, Albert Hall
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April 14 – Glasgow, SEC Armadillo
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April 21 – Amsterdam, Paradiso
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April 22 – Brussels, La Madeleine
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April 23 – Cologne, E-Werk
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April 26 – Paris, La Cigale
Jessie J has been praised massively for the openness of her journey, and her vocalness on the importance of early detection.
For more information on detecting breast cancer and ways in which you can get help then click the link here.
