Emmerdale legend Lisa Riley shares defiant reason for avoiding cancer test
Emmerdale's Lisa Riley who's best known for her role as Mandy Dingle in the ITV soap has opened up about her decision to avoid a cancer test, despite her character recently testing
Emmerdale star Lisa Riley has shared her strong reason for not wanting to take a cancer test.
Last month viewers saw the Dingle family being warned they could carry a faulty gene that causes cancer. They were advised to get tested as soon as possible following Chas’ cancer diagnosis.
But n real life, Lisa, who plays the much-loved character Lisa Dingle, was told she might carry the same gene after her mum Cath passed away from breast cancer 12 years ago. However, unlike her character, Lisa is firm in her decision not to be tested.
Even while raising awareness of the BRCA 1 and 2 genes on the soap, she stands by her choice. She told The Mirror: “It’s my life and I don’t want to have that test done.
“We’ve had years of conversation about it at Emmerdale, long before this storyline, and people have asked me: ‘But Lisa, with your history and your gene pool, why would you not do it? ‘ I reply: ‘Because I don’t need to do it. ‘I just want to be me and live my life from day to day. I could get hit by a lorry tomorrow.”
Lisa’s mum tragically died after battling the disease, two of her great-grandmothers had breast cancer, and she lost three grandparents to other cancers in the past. Despite her stance, Lisa does have an elected mammogram every year but says “not having the test is my choice”.
As well as stating that her health is her business, the Emmerdale icon also praised bosses for raising awareness of the issue and said “it’s wonderful to know that we will be teaching the audience about it”.
The news comes after Chas Dingle (played by Lucy Pargeter) told her family in the soap opera that she had tested positive for the BRCA2 gene, which led to her breast cancer, and urged them to get tested too. The genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, are linked to a higher risk of cancer in both women and men.
Women usually have a 15 percent chance of getting breast cancer, but with these faulty genes, it can jump to 40-85 percent for BRCA2 and 65-85 percent for BRCA1. Kids also have a 50 percent chance of inheriting these genes.
Lisa, who works with the charity Breast Cancer Now, helps her cousin Chas on TV with her cancer story. The star explained it makes her remember tough times with her mum.
Lisa, who grew up in Bury, now lives in Yorkshire with her musician fiance Al. The actress initially spent six years at Emmerdale.
During her 18 years away, she reached the semi-finals of Strictly Come Dancing, appeared in the BAFTA award-winning drama Three Girls. She also replaced Jeremy Beadle as the presenter of You’ve Been Framed!
