Delta Goodrem has had a stellar career in the entertainment industry, first rising to stardom at just 15 years old.
But her journey has been far from easy, with the now-40-year-old being diagnosed with cancer at just 18 years of age. More than 20 years on, Delta has reflected on her journey.
The Australian singer and actress opened up to Davina McCall on her Begin Again podcast, revealing the frightening premonition she had before she was diagnosed.
“I went to bed, and I woke up at 3:31am … I had a nightmare, a very dark figure came to me on a grave with a note,” Delta said, adding that she woke up frightened and covered in sweat. “I was head-to-toe [in sweat], like I’d been in the ocean, and I was completely frozen with fear.”
After the dream, she told her family she was convinced “something bad is going to happen to me”.
Delta Goodrem was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in July 2003, less than four months after debut album Innocent Eyes was released.
What should have been some of the best months of her life – as Innocent Eyes broke countless Australian music records – behind the scenes Delta was dealing with the toughest battle of her life.
Speaking with the Daily Mail‘s Bryony Gordon, Delta reflected on her diagnosis.
“It changed the trajectory of my life completely. The whole country was sitting outside my front door watching me and my family go through this thing the best we could,” she recalled.
“I knew everything was going to be very different. How do you all of a sudden go from planes, trains, and automobiles to this being your life?”
In an interview with 9honey Celebrity in 2024, the 40-year-old opened up on the effect her cancer diagnosis had not only on her physical health, but her mental health too. As a public figure, Delta felt pressure to look beautiful.
And while she was able to recover from the disease after receiving treatment including radiotherapy and chemotherapy, she did also experience side effects such as hair loss.
“[Losing my hair] was a hard one for me as I was still only a teenager, I barely ever wore makeup back then. But when you lose your hair, including your eyebrows and lashes, your skin is pale and you have braces – you want to feel pretty and you start to get creative,” she shared.
Delta’s experience overcoming cancer, and her subsequent passion for beauty and wellness, led her to partner with makeup company Revlon and its charity foundation Look Good Feel Better.
The charity is a national cancer support program and a cause close to the singer’s heart.
Delta told 9honey Celebrity that she wished she would have had access to a similar program when she was going through cancer herself.
“It would have been a wonderful help back then, I’m sure. The side effects of treatment and the changes in your body during that time are things that can’t be easily explained or understood. It’s a beautiful initiative to support people by teaching them how to manage all those different aspects to feel the best they can during that time.
“I have been extremely passionate about finding ways to give back since day one and so finding organisations like them makes my heart happy and I’m thrilled to see that those in the fight can find the support they need and deserve,” she told the publication.
Since recovering from cancer, Delta has continued to pursue a career in the entertainment industry and has seen immense success both in Australia and internationally.
The 40-year-old has released eight studio albums, embarked on multiple global tours, and starred in numerous television shows and movies.
She first appeared on iconic Australian soap Neighbours, and most recently starred in the lead role of Love is in the Air on Netflix.
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