Kylie Minogue reveals she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time

2026-05-20 12:46:00, Lifestyle CNA

Kylie Minogue has revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time in 2021, after receiving successful treatment for breast cancer in 2005.

In her new documentary of the same title on Netflix - released on Wednesday - the Australian singer said she "went through it again", but added that she decided not to make the news public.

"My second cancer diagnosis was in early 2021. I managed to keep it to myself," said Minogue, 57. "Not like the first time."

"Thankfully, I made it through again and everything is fine," she continued. "Hey, who knows what's in store for me, but pop music feeds me... my passion for music is greater than ever."

Minogue noted how she had struggled "to find the right time" to announce what she had experienced for the second time, especially during the success of her 2023 Grammy Award-winning dance-pop song Padam Padam.

"I don't feel obligated to tell the world, and in fact I just couldn't at the time because I was just a shell of a person," Minogue said.

"At one point I didn't want to leave home anymore. Padam Padam opened so many doors for me, but deep down I knew that cancer wasn't just an unexpected moment in my life."

"And I just wanted to tell what happened, so I could put it behind me. I would sit through interviews and in every case I would think, 'now is the time,' but I kept it to myself."

Although she didn't reveal it to fans or journalists, Minogue dropped a few hints about her second round of cancer treatment on her 2023 album, "Tension."

One song, Story, contains the lyrics: "I had a secret I kept to myself / Turn another page, baby, come on stage."

In the three-part documentary - directed by Michael Harte, who also worked on the David Beckham film - the star said: "I needed to have something to mark that time."

Minogue, who was diagnosed after a routine check-up, has stressed that it was her choice to share the new information in the hope that there is "someone out there who would benefit from a gentle reminder to get their check-ups done."

"Early detection was very helpful and I am very grateful to be able to say that I am well today," she added in the film's promotional material.

When she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, the singer had to cancel the rest of her "Showgirl" greatest hits tour and pull out of her headline gig at the Glastonbury Festival on Sunday in order to undergo treatment, which included chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

It was widely publicized at the time and Minogue received a flood of congratulations from fans, as well as public messages of support from famous figures.