
Channel 10 star Barry Du Bois reveals the emotional moment he was told he had 'three months to live' amid ongoing cancer battle
Barry Du Bois has revealed how he remains optimistic during his ongoing cancer battle.
The former Living Room host, 63, penned an emotional essay for The Gold Coast Bulletin on Tuesday in which he opened up about his journey of trauma, depression and incurable cancer.
The Sydney-born presenter revealed how each painful chapter has helped him develop the positive mindset that keeps him going today.
'I was sitting in a cold, unfamiliar consult room at the hospital, my wife's hand holding mine... Then a doctor who had known me for only a few hours looked me in the eye and told me I had three months to live,' he wrote.
But instead of accepting that grim prognosis, Barry leaned on something far stronger - his own lived experience.
From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop.
'They were unaware I'd already been through things that break most people,' he added.
From falling 14 metres off a roof and breaking his back, to enduring years of IVF heartbreak with wife Leonie - including a devastating miscarriage - Barry has known profound physical and emotional pain.
He said he felt 'lost and empty' because 'anyone that loved me was being punished.'
Two weeks after their miscarriage, Leonie was diagnosed with cervical cancer. And while she stayed strong during treatment, Barry spiralled into depression.
'I avoided conversation and started a continual negative conversation with myself that took me into the darkness… Depression is a lonely state and I refused to share my pain. I saw it as a weakness,' he wrote.
But it was Leonie who helped him find his way back.
Barry said his wife helped him find 'purpose, connection and a sense of belonging' again.
He credits that period of reflection and emotional healing for giving him the strength to fight back when he was diagnosed with Plasmacytoma Myeloma - a rare and incurable cancer of the immune system - in 2017.
Barry said his wife Leonie helped him find 'purpose, connection and a sense of belonging' again. Pictured Barry and Leonie with their twins Bennett and Arabella
'So when I got my diagnosis - incurable cancer, three months to live - I didn't fall apart... I knew that from leaning into the previous adversities of life I had the resilience to give the fight of my life.'
He now focuses daily on the things he can control: Mindset, nutrition, movement and connection.
It comes after Barry offered a heartfelt update amid his ongoing cancer battle.
He took to social media in March to reflect on his years-long battle with Plasmacytoma Myeloma.
In an emotional post, Barry shared a candid beachside photo of himself smiling and relaxed while sitting barefoot on the sand, dressed casually in a white t-shirt and matching white shorts.
Alongside the image, Barry also posted a poignant photo of a blue surgical glove with the handwritten words: 'Just because you're struggling doesn't mean you're failing.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Mel C flaunts her sizzling six-pack as she shares slew of snaps from recent trip Down Under - including a loved-up display with new boyfriend Chris Dingwall
Mel C flaunted her rock hard abs in a slew of snaps on Instagram on Thursday while reflecting on her recent trip Down Under. Sporty Spice, 50, jetted off to Australia in March with her boyfriend Chris Dingwall ahead of the Australian Grand Prix - where she was booked to play a DJ set. But after returning back to the UK in preparation for festival season, Mel is seemingly suffering with holiday blues as she gave fans an insight into her getaway. Captioning the post: 'Missing life down under,' the first photo shared by the pop star showed her indulging in some seaside yoga while showing off her impressive physique. Donning a pair of shorts and a dark blue sports bra, Mel flaunted her sizzling six-pack while stretching her arms towards the sky for the snap. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Her abs were again on show in an later photo, with Sporty Spice unsurprisingly enjoying a visit to the gym in a matching shorts and bra combo. It wasn't all sports and yoga for Mel Down Under however, with the slew revealing that she had taken in a Dua Lipa performance during her trip away. And the 50-year-old seemed to be having a whale of a time watching the British superstar's Radical Optimism tour, with Mel filmed dancing the night away in the crowd. In another video, Mel revealed exactly how she manages to wear stilettos for an entire day - by taping her toes together. The footage showed a man - presumably her stylist - prepping the Spice Girl to slip into a pair of heels while explaining exactly how the method works. 'The science says that by taping toe two and three together, it will redistribute the pressure on the foot meaning Melanie can do a full day in the world's most heeled high heels,' he said. '(Our inspiration is) Vanessa Williams while performing in The Devil Wears Prada, she told the world that this was the secret to getting through a full day in stilettos, and let's see if she's a liar.' Mel also put on a loved-up display with her film director boyfriend Chris, who is believed to be in his 40s, in a selfie shared to her Instagram on Thursday. While it remains unclear how the couple met, they confirmed romance rumours last June when they attended Glastonbury together. Chris - who stands at around 185cm tall - is a model who has also tried his hand at acting, writing and film directing. During their time together in Australia, the couple were pictured sharing a cheeky kiss while enjoying a day on the beach. Since going public with their romance, Mel and Chris have also enjoyed a summer break in Ibiza together. They were seen sharing a steamy kiss during a PDA-filled boat ride on the island. In July, Mel also cosied up to her new partner as they enjoyed a day out at Wimbledon in south west London. The singer keeps her love life largely out of the spotlight but previously spoke about how she was banned from dating in the early days of the Spice Girls - while her bandmates were free to pursue romances. 'Looking back what struck me was it was one rule for one and another for the others, right?' she previously told Australia's The Project. 'I think when you are vulnerable as well, people go, I don't think it's good for you'. Mel said the rule for the other women was, 'she is fine, she can have a boyfriend, she can cope with having a boyfriend, she is strong enough but you are not'. 'It makes you question yourself when you are already vulnerable,' Mel added. On Thursday, it was reported that Simon Fuller – the man who managed the band, created Brand Beckham and helped found Victoria Beckham's fashion empire – is keen to organise a tour to mark the group's 30th anniversary next year. He has the support of Mel C, Mel B and Emma Bunton, and has spent more than a year trying to win Geri Halliwell-Horner round to the idea. A source told The Mail's Alison Boshoff: 'Geri isn't interested in stepping foot on a stage again.' So the plan she agreed to was for Abba-style avatars of the girls, which would 'perform' in concert. But Victoria is being left out of discussions and will not be part of the virtual line-up. A source said: 'Simon Fuller planning a tour has caused yet another schism. Victoria is f****d off that they have gone with him and there is no way that she will be a part of it. 'The bad feeling seems to go back to her and David having to spend millions on buying him out of Beckham Brand Holdings. He still has a stake and board seat on her fashion business. There is resentment there. 'Geri wants to do the avatars idea. She isn't interested in coming back and doing a tour. She doesn't need to. This is the one idea which Simon has had which has tempted her.' The source added: 'Simon Fuller is the only person who could get Geri to rejoin the Spice Girls, but he is the one person in the world who could never persuade Victoria.' No wonder only Mel C and Emma Bunton went to Mel B's 50th birthday celebrations in Leeds last weekend. All of the 'girls' showed up for Victoria's 50th birthday last year, but it seems that they are in separate camps once again. In fact, there has not yet been a meeting to discuss plans with Geri and the other Spice Girls in the same room because 'at any given point


Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Major HIV breakthrough forces hidden fragments of the virus to emerge so it can be cleared from the body
Experts could have found a way to be one step closer to curing HIV for good. Researchers in Australia has developed a new treatment that forces hidden fragments of the virus - normally concealed within human cells - to emerge and expose themselves to the immune system. The breakthrough could enable the body, aided by antiviral drugs, to detect and destroy any lingering viral reservoirs. HIV has remained incurable because the virus can integrate itself into a cell's DNA, laying dormant and undetectable to both medication and immune defenses. Scientists said they've created a nanoparticle capable of delivering genetic instructions to infected cells, prompting them to produce a signal that reveals the virus's presence. Dr Paula Cevaal of the Doherty Institute and co-author of the study told The Guardian that the feat was 'previously thought impossible'. Cevaal said: 'In the field of biomedicine, many things eventually don't make it into the clinic, that is the unfortunate truth; I don't want to paint a prettier picture than what is the reality. 'But in terms of specifically the field of HIV cure, we have never seen anything close to as good as what we are seeing, in terms of how well we are able to reveal this virus. 'So, from that point of view, we're very hopeful that we are also able to see this type of response in an animal, and that we could eventually do this in humans.' The discovery was first revealed in the journal Nature Communications, where researchers said they were initially so astonished that they had to rerun the tests. Further research would be needed to determine whether revealing the virus would be enough to trigger an immune response, with tests only being carried out in the lab. It could still take years before clinical trials for the drug began, when it would have to go through rigorous testing before reaching consumers. However, the advance represents another step forward for the 1.2 million Americans currently living with an HIV infection - for which they took drugs daily. An estimated 31,800 people were believed to be infected every year, although that's a 12 per cent decline on five years ago. Globally, nearly 40 million people have the virus. The new nanoparticle's based on mRNA technology, the same as was used in covid vaccines made by Pfizer and other vaccine manufacturers. In their paper, the scientists revealed that they could deliver mRNA instructions to cells using the nanoparticle. The mRNA then instruct cells to generate substances that reveal the presence of HIV, but only if the virus was present. The study done in the laboratory was carried out in cells donated by HIV patients.


The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Parenting in the climate crisis: how to raise kids who care about the environment
Although it's unfair, it's young people (and the generations to come) who will have to deal with fallout from the climate crisis. So how do you talk to young people about living sustainably and raise knowledgeable kids who care about the future of the planet? Here are some tips for engaging the next generation on the environment meaningfully. Damon Gameau, actor, film-maker and director of documentaries including 2040 and the upcoming Future Council, says we have built a system that doesn't value nature – and that needs to change. 'Very quickly, children aren't encouraged to care. They're encouraged to try and extract and conquer and win and compete.' Instilling care and empathy in children works in a similar way to teaching them most other things: through modelling, education and good conversations. Susy Lee, author of Raising Kids Who Care and an educator with 18 years' experience, says the first step is being intentional about what you're trying to teach. 'We need kids who know [that they] don't need to be suckered into buying more stuff [and] that generosity and compassion and helping others is actually what makes them happy.' Good conversations need two things, she says: curiosity and positivity. Don't lecture, be collaborative and be guided by questions. Listen more, talk less. Involving kids in age-appropriate discussions about what matters, then modelling good choices, leads to positive outcomes. Some starting points are: discussing where to donate money and time, whether to get an electric vehicle or petrol car, or visiting your local MP to raise issues important to your community. Gameau says adults can also help by acknowledging the size and scariness of the issues, and letting kids feel anger, sadness and fear. Young people already know about the threats, he says, pointing to an international survey that found nearly 60% of young people were either very or extremely worried about the environment. Then connect kids (and adults!) with the living world again: spend time in nature, get to know the bird varieties and tree species around you, have adventures outside. It's easier to care about things you know, see and experience. Take the time to stop, examine and discuss. Seek out joy, beauty and fun to counterbalance the gloom. Zena Burgess, CEO of the Australian Psychological Society, emphasises the importance of action and taking individual steps that build a community of people making positive progress. This is echoed by Lee and Gameau, and reflects Bob Brown's catchphrase: action is the antidote to despair. Start where your kids are. If they love the ocean, take them snorkelling, watch documentaries, pick up rubbish on the beach. Look for ways to reduce plastic in the home and community, join campaigns against single-use plastic. Follow the children's lead, show them hope and possibilities, and steer clear of overwhelm. It's not the kids' responsibility to fix things, it's ours. But we can support them, combining their ideas, creativity and passion with our knowledge and experience. This help ranges from having good conversations to dealing with emotions, arranging logistics, finding information and joining organisations. And it extends beyond our own children: we'll all be affected by the future we've created, and need to use our skills and connections to make a difference in any way we can. Look for ways to make it fun. Jump in the surf after you've cleaned the beach; revel in your results. You're joining a community of billions of people taking action across the world. Spread the hope and joy of these stories; seek out the positives. Make sure there's a clear link between doing good and feeling good and make it something others want to join. Make it cool to care. Raising kids who care is a matter of balancing the truth of where we are with the resilience of both the natural world and human endeavour. As Gameau says, 'There's something beautiful about the human spirit, particularly when its back is against the wall and innovation and creativity get unleashed. We're capable of doing extraordinary and wonderful things.'