Sarah Ferguson's cancer treatment helped her battle lifelong 'addiction'

Now 65, the Duchess confidently described herself as a 'badass grandmother', having completely moved on from the self-doubt and 'unworthiness' that previously brought her down

Sarah Ferguson has shone a light on the one issue she's faced since childhood, claiming it has taken years to overcome her 'addiction', according to reports. The Duchess of York, often nicknamed Fergie, said that her unexpected habit started 53 years ago, when her parents' got divorced and she shouldered the blame.

In the years that followed, the Royal confessed that she was always drawn towards it whenever times got tough - but remarkably, her cancer treatment has helped turn it all around. "My addiction was my addiction to food," she said to the Sunday Telegraph, according to Hello!.

"When I got cancer I put my life back in the middle and food back in its rightful place, not intentionally. It just happened because I realised that I was eating instead of living."

Now 65, the Duchess confidently described herself as a 'badass grandmother', having completely moved on from the self-doubt and 'unworthiness' that previously brought her down. The interview also comes less than a month after she became the first-ever Royal Family member to join TikTok, which she used to raise further awareness of the cell-mutating disease.

Sarah Ferguson was diagnosed with skin cancer earlier this year, just months after her first fight against breast cancer. Despite the success of her treatment, with no signs of recurrence or spread, she posted on social media to reflect on her experiences while raising awareness of Pink October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

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Looking back on her initial breast cancer diagnosis, Sarah recounted feelings of hollowness and 'total abject fear', claiming she just 'couldn't speak'. "The drive [between hospitals] was 40 minutes and I just didn't speak - I couldn't speak," she said in the recent post.

"It was very interesting for me not to speak. I couldn't express myself, I just shut down, I went back into [a] little girl. It was easier not to ask for support and just to deal with it because that's what I'm used to, that's what I can do. That's what I was taught."

The grandmother's breast cancer diagnosis took place in 2023 following a routine mammogram screening. As part of her treatment, the Duchess of York underwent an eight-hour operation at London's King Edward VII's Hospital.

This involved a single mastectomy operation - referring to the procedure that involves all or part removal of one breast. Although she expressed that cancer was 'a lot to handle', she's now proud of her scars.

She continued: "And it's only now I am really proud of my scars, they're really important. I never thought you could free the shackles of your heart by cancer, by learning what it is to be able to talk right now, right this second, about how it feels like to ask for help, to surrender and to realise that everything is going to be okay.

"And you can find joy and you can not worry so much."