Sky Sports presenter Jo Wilson has opened up on the moment she was told she had cancer, recounting the fear, isolation and uncertainty that defined the early days of her diagnosis.
Wilson, who was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer in 2022 shortly after the birth of her daughter, Mabel, reflected on her journey in a new Sky Sports News documentary, ‘Football, Cancer and Me’.
She explained how her life changed ‘in an instant’, describing the emotional shock of hearing the words no one expects and the weeks that followed as she underwent tests and waited for a treatment plan.
‘It hit me like a truck,’ she said. ‘I did wonder if I’m going to die. I’d prepared myself for the worst, I think you have to.
‘I actually didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want to put it on anyone. If one person can see this and make a phone call to the doctor because something doesn’t feel right, then it’s worth talking about.’
Wilson went on to outline the intensity of her treatment, which included five weeks of daily radiotherapy, weekly chemotherapy and three days of invasive internal brachytherapy.
Sky Sports presenter Jo Wilson has opened up on the moment she was told she had cancer , recounting the early days of her diagnosis
Wilson was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer in 2022 shortly after the birth of her daughter, Mabel
She explained how the hardest moments came when treatment forced her to be separated from her daughter for the first time, describing those three days in hospital as the darkest period of her illness.
Saunders was first treated for thyroid cancer before suffering encephalitis, a serious brain infection that required her to be placed in a coma.
Her partner, former Southampton head coach Will Still, stepped down from his job in France and returned to the UK to be with her before later signing a three-year deal with the Championship club.
Still said the experience left him torn between managing in France and being at her bedside in the UK.
‘The scariest bit was the operation itself,’ he said. ‘She goes down totally fine and then comes back five or six hours later with this massive gash. I wasn’t ready for that.
‘The toughest bit was being in a different country and trying to manage a football club at the same time. You always have that bit of guilt.’
Saunders said she felt a similar pressure, admitting she feared she was ‘impacting his dream’ during the months he commuted back and forth to support her.
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Wilson’s story features alongside that of fellow Sky Sports presenter Emma Saunders, who returned to screens this summer after a severe health battle of her own
Her partner, former Southampton head coach Will Still said the experience left him torn between managing in France and being at her bedside in the UK
Wilson’s story is also interwoven with the experiences of others in the game who have faced similar battles, including Wales and Bournemouth winger David Brooks
‘You showed up to every appointment, you were there for the surgery,’ she said. ‘I could feel at that point that I was really poorly. To have you there on a Thursday when you’ve got a game to prepare for… I’ll forever be very grateful.’
Wilson’s story is also interwoven with the experiences of others in the game who have faced similar battles.
Bournemouth winger David Brooks, who returned to Premier League action last year after being diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma, shares his own account of treatment and recovery in the film.
Ex-Birmingham City manager Tony Mowbray, who resigned last year to prioritise his health, also discusses the strain of battling illness while working in football.
He had stepped away from the Blues after only a month due to an unspecified medical issue, later confirming he had been diagnosed with bowel cancer, and briefly returned to management with West Brom in January.
Wilson has now been cancer-free for two and a half years and said the relief of receiving the all-clear remained impossible to describe.
‘Being told I was cancer-free felt incredible,’ she said. ‘You can’t explain that feeling because it’s all you hope for through everything.’
Wilson admitted the psychological impact of the illness continued long after treatment ended, but said the joy of raising her daughter and returning to everyday life had helped her rebuild.
‘Life is good, life is happy,’ she added. ‘It changes you, of course it does, but it makes you appreciate everything. You can get through it, and there is life after cancer.’
