Celebrities and people with cancer share their experiences in intimate shoot with acclaimed photographer, Rankin

Macmillan Cancer Support has released a series of stunning portraits of celebrities and people affected by cancer to mark the return of Coffee Morning. The photos – taken by photographer Rankin – bring to life the importance of connection through shared experience.

The series brings together acclaimed news reporter and journalist George Alagiah, stage and screen star Sheridan Smith, podcast host and cancer activist Lauren Mahon, and Chewing Gum and This is Going to Hurt actor Kadiff Kirwan, all of whom have been personally impacted by cancer to meet real people having similar experiences.

The intimate conversations captured by the images made the pairings relive moments of their own diagnosis; mourning the loss of loved ones; share experiences of Macmillan support they have received; and discuss how you can manage life after cancer. Up to 1 in 2 people are expected to develop cancer during their lifetime[ii]It has never been more important to come together and have open conversations about the tremendous impact of cancer.

George and Mary

News anchor and journalist George Alagiah is candid about the impact of his own experience with stage IV colon cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2014 and subsequently spread to his lymph nodes and lungs:

“People always ask me how I’m coping and that’s the hardest question… The challenge at first was getting my cancer diagnosis straight into my head; With so much going for me, a successful career and a loving family, I was just told here that I was going to die. I wish I had known earlier how much support Macmillan could have offered me throughout this whole experience, but I figured I’d have to be at the end of my life to ask.”

Personal trainer Mary Huckle, a mother of three from London, was also diagnosed with stage four cancer the same year as George. Mary recalls her own diagnosis and feeling vulnerable and out of control:

“One of the worst things about being diagnosed with cancer was breaking the news to loved ones. The domino effects are always far-reaching and just as traumatic for them. Many lonely, sleepless nights followed. There was a lot of crying, and it wasn’t just me, but there was no time for speculation. I just had to accept the situation and move on with the process. In those early days I felt vulnerable and completely out of control, but I had no choice but to trust the medical team taking care of me.”

Sheridan and Suad

Actor Sheridan Smith met Manchester-based nurse Suad Ibrahim, who comes from a close-knit family of nine siblings and also lost her father to cancer. Macmillan was able to fulfill Suad’s father’s last wish:

“My father was an incredibly strong-willed and proud man and was reluctant to seek any kind of support when he was first diagnosed. However, his relationship with his Macmillan nurse Sarah was unlike any I had ever seen.”

“He shared with her things about his health and last wishes that he found difficult to share with us. When my father died, it was his wish to be buried on the day of his death to honor his Muslim faith. Sarah, our amazing GP, and the rest of the medical professionals who took care of my father were able to grant his last wish. Our family will be eternally grateful for that. We cannot thank Macmillan enough and all the people who have nurtured and supported my father and all of us through one of the most difficult times of our lives.

After losing loved ones to cancer, Sheridan Smith has supported Macmillan’s coffee morning event for several years:

“Connecting with others affected by cancer can really help you feel less alone. Macmillan’s Coffee Morning is the perfect place for it – but whatever your reason for attending, you will be helping to support the growing number of people living with cancer across the UK who need our support more than ever.”

Lauren and Shell

Award-winning podcaster, activist and founder of the Girl vs Cancer charity Lauren Mahon caught up with 23-year-old Shell Rowe, a filmmaker and TikTok star from Essex. The couple bonded through their shared experience of being diagnosed with cancer at a young age, with London native Lauren being diagnosed with breast cancer aged thirty-one and Shell being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just twenty . Both were supported by Macmillan during their cancer treatment.