22 October 2025

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, presenter Mari Grug shares her personal experience of living with metastatic cancer - cancer that has spread to other parts of the body - in a documentary on S4C. 

The programme, Mari Grug: Un dydd ar y tro, will be broadcast on Sunday, 26 October at 9:00 pm. It will also be available to watch on S4C Clic and BBC iPlayer, with the option of English subtitles.  

The cameras follow Mari as she faces treatment, physical and emotional challenges, as well as moments of joy with her family and young children.  

“The aim of the programme,” says Mari, “is to show that life can carry on even though I have metastatic breast cancer, and to prove that I can be a mother, a wife, a friend, and a presenter while living with stage 4 cancer.” 

Mari, a familiar face from the Heno and Prynhawn Da programmes, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, at the age of 38. She is now living with metastatic cancer which has spread to her lymph nodes and liver. 

Although the situation is challenging, Mari emphasises that a diagnosis of metastatic cancer doesn’t mean the end of the story: 

“I want people to know that if you’re diagnosed with metastatic cancer, don’t lose hope. Be realistic, yes, but don’t think ‘that’s it.’ Treatments are developing all the time. You can live a full life with the condition. 

“When I heard the cancer had spread, I was told, ‘there isn’t much we can do,’ and that palliative care was the only thing available. That was a blow. 

“People think of palliative care as end-of-life care. But in reality, this kind of care has developed significantly.” 

“There were a lot of challenges in those early months after I received the diagnosis that the cancer had spread, and I was shocked that I had to fight. I ended up becoming a kind of production manager of my own illness. Maybe, on paper, the doctors weren’t going to offer me surgery because it was considered too far gone. 

“It felt like they had some kind of ‘flow chart’ deciding who gets what, rather than thinking about the individual. I was 38, a mother to three small children, and I just wanted to feel like they were going to do everything possible to help me.” 

Despite the challenges she faces, Mari admits that she has always been a ‘glass half full’ kind of person: 

“When you hear that you have a condition that’s going to end your life sooner than you’d like, every extra year is a gift. I just want to see my children reach the milestones in their lives, and make the most of the time I have with them. 

“I’m trying to show them that life is still valuable, even with a diagnosis like this. I’m ill, but I’m still here. And we’re going to make the most of every moment. I’m lucky I can still do that.” 

Iwan Rhys Roberts, Cancer Research Wales said: 

“Mari’s willingness and determination to use her status as a public figure to speak openly about her cancer and to take us on her journey - in TV and radio interviews, with newspapers and news websites; through her podcast ‘1 mewn 2’ and her new book ‘Dal i fod yn fi’, and now with the programme Mari Grug: Un dydd ar y tro - shows great bravery on her part and generosity of spirit. 

“It’s also important to remember that Mari has been speaking openly about her cancer from very early on in her diagnosis, giving an honest insight into her experiences and highlighting and raising awareness of something thousands of others will go through in communities across Wales. 

“As a charity, Mari’s support for the work of Cancer Research Wales -whether it’s speaking on our behalf in the media; hosting fundraising events for us, or helping to raise awareness of our existence as Wales’s cancer research charity - is invaluable, and we are deeply grateful and full of admiration for her. It is an honour to work with Mari and to have her as an ambassador for Cancer Research Wales.” 

Marguerite Holloway, Breast cancer lead for Wales Macmillan says: 

 “Mari has been so inspiring in raising awareness of living with secondary breast cancer, and she has been so open and honest about her diagnosis. We need more awareness to improve services for people living with secondary breast cancer in Wales, and this will help families and those diagnosed with cancer help find the support and help they need. We are really grateful for everything Mari has done”