Diagnosis and Early Treatment
Maryam Moshiri, a long‑standing BBC News presenter, revealed in September 2026 that she has been living with polycythaemia vera (PV), a rare form of blood cancer, since her diagnosis in November 2024. The 49‑year‑old joined the corporation in 2003 and is recognised as one of its most familiar faces on screen. She decided to speak publicly about her condition to raise awareness of a disease that often presents with few obvious signs.
“It’s been two years since my diagnosis and I’ve felt that I’ve started to understand the disease a lot better and the way it affects my life,” Moshiri said. “I’ve got a handle on it to a degree now, so I felt it was really important to raise awareness.” She added that she will need treatment for the remainder of her life, noting that PV cannot be cured but can be managed effectively.
Managing Symptoms and Treatment Adjustments
In PV, the body overproduces red blood cells, making the blood thicker and increasing the risk of clots that can lead to stroke, heart attack or deep vein thrombosis. Symptoms may include headaches, confusion, dizziness and blurred vision, although Moshiri experienced little in the way of early warning signs. “Mostly I had no symptoms and that’s one of the problems with this disease,” she explained, crediting her GP’s meticulous routine blood tests for catching the condition.
Her initial treatment involved regular venesections – a procedure where blood is slowly drawn from a vein to reduce its thickness. Over roughly five months she underwent seven or eight of these hour‑long sessions, which left her iron levels low and caused exhaustion, hair loss and widespread itching. “After a while I started feeling extremely unwell and tired. I started losing my hair, I got itchy all over my body, but the main symptom was fatigue,” she recalled.
Later, Moshiri transitioned to interferon immunotherapy accessed through the NHS. After some adjustments to the regimen, she now requires only one venesection every fifteen months. “I’ve only needed one venesection in about 15 months, so that’s been really good. The last couple of months have been better than the last two years,” she said, emphasising that finding the right treatment is key to living well with the illness.
Impact on Personal and Professional Life
The presenter described the fatigue associated with PV as a profound depletion of energy, unlike ordinary tiredness. “It’s the kind of fatigue that is not like I’m just tired and I didn’t get a good night’s sleep, you feel like someone has removed your battery completely, and however much sleep you get makes no difference,” she said. Despite this, she has continued to anchor major international stories, including coverage from Qatar at the outset of the US‑Israel conflict with Iran, the Vatican during the selection of a new Pope, and Greenland for Vice‑President JD Vance’s visit.
At home, Moshiri balances her condition with family life. She is married to Jonathan and is mother to Iris (13), Vivienne (11) and Caspian (9). She acknowledged that explaining her illness to her children took time, but they have responded with understanding when she tells them she is too tired to play. “It took me a long time to be able to tell them about this illness, because I don’t want to worry them, but they have been so understanding,” she noted.
Expert Commentary and Future Hope
Helen Rowntree, chief executive of Blood Cancer UK, welcomed Moshiri’s openness, stating that public figures sharing their diagnoses help break the silence surrounding blood cancer – the UK’s fifth most common cancer and its third biggest cancer killer. Rowntree highlighted that many patients manage complex treatment regimens alongside work and family commitments, and urged continued public and government investment in research for kinder, more effective therapies.
Moshiri herself expressed optimism about scientific progress, saying she hopes future advancements will improve upon current medications. “There is a lot of research going into blood cancer and scientific advancement to look forward to. Hopefully they’ll be some sort of advancement that will help even more than these medications I’ve been given,” she added.
Why it Matters
Maryam Moshiri’s candid account shines a light on a condition that often flies under the radar despite its serious health implications. By sharing her journey from asymptomatic discovery to ongoing treatment, she encourages others to attend routine check‑ups and seek prompt medical advice when unusual fatigue or other subtle symptoms arise. Her story also underscores the vital role of patient‑centred research and supportive healthcare policies in transforming a once‑daunting diagnosis into a manageable part of everyday life.
