Industry star Marisa Abela issues a health update as she opens up about her battle with thyroid cancer in rare comments

Industry star Marisa Abela has issued a health update as she opened up about her battle with thyroid cancer in rare comments on Sunday.

The actress, 29, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at age 23 in 2020 and had to have a major eight-hour operation to remove the tumour.

She first went to the doctors when she was feeling unusually tired and a GP spotted a lump on her neck.

After the big operation and radioactive iodine treatment which followed she is now ‘all in the clear’. 

The star still has to have regular check-ups and will be on medication for the rest of her life however.

She told The Sunday Times over the weekend: ‘I don’t have a working thyroid so these pills sort of create one. I’m never going to miss those appointments. 

‘The thyroid is all to do with your hormones, and staying on top of your hormones, as a woman, to make sure things are running as they should, is important.’ 

In 2024 she revealed in harrowing detail how seeing her scarred body for the first time after cancer surgery left her fearing her career was over.

She was diagnosed shortly after filming the first series of Industry in which she plays privileged Yasmin Kara-Hanani. 

Recalling the moment she first saw the scar across her throat, she said: ‘When I first went to the bathroom after surgery and I saw myself in the mirror, I thought, ‘That’s it, my career is over’.

‘[My neck] was stapled, bloody. It wasn’t pretty at all, and the scar is big.’ 

She also told of her fears that her future acting roles would be restricted to characters with the description ‘she had this big scar on her neck’ and how her diagnosis at the age of just 23 had changed her thoughts about her body.

‘[After] being diagnosed with cancer – even if it’s something like thyroid cancer, which isn’t necessarily life-threatening – there’s a distrust within your body I really wouldn’t wish on anyone.

‘This thing existed inside me for years without me knowing it was there – and that has changed my relationship with my body.’

However, after undergoing treatment, which included swallowing radioactive iodine pills, Marisa was keen to point out the positives of her experience.

‘When you’re on cancer wards, you’re seeing things that are so bleak and so sad, and it really does just put everything into perspective.’

During her interview with The Times over the weekend Marisa also spoke about the ‘disappointing’ moment she believed her husband was about to propose during a romantic trip to Paris.

The Back to Black star married West End actor Jamie Bogyo, 31, last September at a picturesque 15th-century manor house in Sussex.

The couple first met while studying at RADA in 2016 and later became engaged in July 2024 during a stroll through Primrose Hill in London.

In the new interview, Marisa admitted the proposal came as a surprise, revealing she had expected it to happen weeks earlier while they were in the French capital.

She said: ‘We were at dinner with friends and he went back to the hotel saying he was ill but that I should stay.’

Pretending to play along with what she thought was going to be a proposal, the actress continued: ‘I got back later, expecting roses and champagne to be everywhere, and instead found Jamie in a ball on the floor being sick!’

The pair said ‘I do’ at a country manor house – surrounded by friends, family, and a touch of old Hollywood glamour. 

The couple exchanged vows in a late-afternoon ceremony at Firle Place, and in a romantic nod to one of the first moments of their relationship, Marisa walked down the aisle to the theme from Cinema Paradiso – the film the pair watched together before saying ‘I love you.’ 

Jamie’s best man, Nate Janis, officiated the ceremony, while the bride’s and groom’s fathers both gave heartfelt readings.

Their drama school friends, Liadán Dunlea and Iwan Davis, performed a touching rendition of ‘May You Never’ by John Martyn. 

In stunning photos obtained by British Vogue, Marisa exuded elegance in a satin Emilia Wickstead gown, complete with a dramatic nine-foot veil.

The chic white wedding dress, inspired by Audrey Hepburn, featured a drop waist and sculpted off-the-shoulder micro-sleeves that hugged the actress’s arms, while a structured corset created a sleek silhouette. 

She paired the show-stopping gown with custom Jimmy Choo Max 150 heels, which were personalised with the couple’s initials on the sole, adding a sentimental touch.

Speaking about her choice of dress to British Vogue, Marisa said: ‘It was its own show-stopping moment with its simplicity and cut, but was slightly more practical, I needed something to be able to dance in!’ 

She added: ‘I wanted something sexy that really felt like me, and I love tailoring, the sport shorts were perfect, and I could really let loose.’ 

After saying ‘I do,’ the newlyweds celebrated with their guests under a shower of confetti, sipping their favourite champagne and cocktails alongside a spread of canapés. 

Later in the evening, everyone was whisked away to Soho House Brighton, where they enjoyed an intimate dinner followed by a lively night of dancing.