Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden's health woes after pimple turned out to be cancer
Deborah Meaden - best known for her role on the BBC show Dragons' Den - has previously opened up about her skin cancer diagnosis and now having yearly check-ups
TV tycoon Deborah Meaden once revealed that she has annual check-ups after a cancerous pimple was identified on her face.
The entrepreneur, 65, was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma back in 2015. It's a type of skin cancer regarded as the second most prevalent form, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, and is easily treatable in most cases. The NHS describes squamous cell carcinoma as a type of non-melanoma skin cancer that originates from cells that line the top of the epidermis and contributes roughly 20 out of every 100 skin cancers.
A seemingly innocuous 'white pimple' made an appearance on the Dragons' Den star's face which thankfully her makeup artist flagged as suspect. As previously reported, Deborah's current diagnosis is "completely clear" but she's previously said she is prone to another squamous if she doesn't protect her skin from the sun.
During her an appearance on Lorraine last year, Deborah seized the chance to raise awareness about cancer. Host Christine Lampard acknowledged: "You're doing well. I know you spoke last year about a skin cancer diagnosis something that you didn't even notice yourself, it was a makeup artist in fact."
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Deborah, affirming Christine's remark, responded: "It was the lovely Sue who's made me up this morning. She just said I don't get spots and she noticed a little white pimple that had been there for about a month and Sue said 'that's unusual' and I thought 'I need to get it checked out'.
"I spoke about it because I think most people think about skin cancers as moles or changes of colour or texture in the skin. And I spoke about it because I actually thought nobody ever told me to look out for what looked like a tiny little white head. [...] I still get myself checked every year because I'm obviously prone to it."
After her Dragons' Den makeup artist flagged the suspicious spot, Deborah shared an image with her doctor prior to jetting off to Africa. "I sent a picture to my doctor, who said 'hmm yeah that could be something, it might not, but it could be something'. Then he got me an appointment with a local hospital and I went along and [they] told me 'yeah, you've got a squamous'," she relayed on Boots' Taboo Talk podcast, hosted by Vogue Williams.
Following her trip abroad, Deborah had the squamous removed. She added: "When I say I was lucky, we caught it incredibly early. I'm evangelical now about saying to people, if you've got a little odd pimple that won't go, don't just think it's a pimple."
Highlighting the importance of vigilance, she continued: "I've always looked for moles. I know all the rules about moles but I've never looked for something that actually looked like a whitehead. I would never have known if it wasn't for Sue, thank goodness."
The Irish Cancer Society offers confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. Its Support Line is available on Freephone 1800 200 700 during weekdays from 9am-5pm.
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