BBC News presenter Maryam Moshiri has revealed she is living with an incurable blood cancer, after spending nearly two years undergoing demanding treatment while continuing to work on air.

The 49-year-old mother of three was diagnosed with polycythaemia vera (PV), a rare condition in which the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells. The illness can make the blood unusually thick, increasing the risk of potentially life-threatening blood clots, heart attacks and strokes if it is left untreated.

Although there is currently no cure for PV, it can generally be managed as a chronic condition.

Speaking to The Times, Moshiri described the treatment as gruelling but said it was “better than dying.” She also acknowledged that coming to terms with both the disease and its treatment has been a major adjustment.

A diagnosis discovered through a blood test

Moshiri first learned something was wrong after having a blood test connected to the menopause.

Following her diagnosis, she was having more than a pint of blood removed from her body every month in an effort to lower the concentration of red blood cells. The procedure left her feeling sick and exhausted.

Despite that, she continued with her demanding career. Not long after beginning treatment, Moshiri travelled to Rome to report on the death of the Pope and the subsequent conclave.

She said she was working 14-hour days, frequently appearing on air and having to think on her feet while dealing with chronic fatigue.

“I was working 14-hour days, constantly on air, constantly having to think on my feet, and holding it together, despite the fact that I had this chronic tiredness and fatigue,” she said.

For Moshiri, stepping away from her career was not something she wanted her diagnosis to force her to do.

“A big part of this disease is having to get on with life,” she said.

Treatment brought its own painful challenges

After returning from Rome, Moshiri began immunotherapy using interferon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in London.

The treatment reduced the amount of blood she needed to have removed, but its side effects were severe. She experienced insomnia and headaches, while intense itching became so painful that she would scratch herself until she bled.

The illness also affected her ability to spend time with her children — Iris, 13, Vivienne, 11, and Caspian, nine.

Moshiri recalled that during the most difficult periods of her treatment, she was often too exhausted to be there for them in the way she wanted.

“During my worst times when I was going through really quite gruelling treatment, I wasn’t there for my kids,” she said.

She remembered her son asking her to play football with him in the garden, only for her to be too tired to get off the sofa.

When Moshiri told her children about her diagnosis, their immediate concern was whether their mother was going to die.

She later changed to a different medication, which brought side effects that were easier for her to manage.

Learning to live differently

Moshiri says her life now involves adapting to a routine shaped by hospital appointments and medication.

She has also chosen to speak publicly about her experience by supporting Blood Cancer UK’s Here for This campaign, which focuses on the everyday moments people living with blood cancer may miss because of their condition.

The presenter remains a familiar face to BBC viewers and is known for her lively personality and memorable moments on television.

Her most famous on-air mishap came in December 2023, when she accidentally appeared to give the middle finger to the camera during a live BBC News broadcast. She later explained that the gesture was part of a private joke with the crew and apologised after the extended clip went out live.

It was far from her only unusual moment on air. Moshiri has also imitated a seagull, bent a spoon while discussing a man crushing a frying pan, and jogged on the spot during a segment about daily step counts.

Behind that playful public persona, however, she has spent nearly two years navigating an incurable illness, intensive treatment and the exhaustion that came with it — while continuing to get on with life and her career.