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Giovanna, who met Kate when she recorded a special episode of her podcast, Happy Mum, Happy Baby in 2020, said the mum of three has an amazing ‘ability to connect with every-one’
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Giovanna Fletcher on her friendship with the Princess of Wales
Giovanna Fletcher has hailed the Princess of Wales as “a wonderful human” as she battles cancer.
Since the 42-year-old royal bravely went public with her diagnosis last week, thousands of people have been to get themselves checked in what has been dubbed The Kate Effect. And Giovanna, who met Kate when she recorded a special episode of her podcast, Happy Mum, Happy Baby in 2020, said the mother of three has an amazing “ability to connect with everyone” and “really cares” about her legacy.
Following news of Kate’s diagnosis last Friday, author, actress and presenter Giovanna, 39, wrote on Instagram: “The Princess of Wales has always led with dignity, grace and compassion. Working alongside her always gives the greatest lessons in how to care. How to listen. How to ‘human’.”
And in an exclusive interview on our Invite Only podcast before Kate made her bombshell announcement, Giovanna said: “She’s just brilliant. From the first time I met her to now, I’m still blown away by her ability to connect with everyone. We were talking about nipple cream the last time we were together.
“We were at a baby bank, talking about what is needed, and obviously nipple cream is really expensive – a little pot is £11. I remember her saying something like, ‘Oh, I wish I’d bought some nipple cream now.’ It’s always really lovely to see her, actually. We went to her Christmas Carol concert at Westminster Abbey and as she was walking past, she caught my eye and circled back so she could say hello to all the kids. That was really special.
“She was asking questions about what instruments they play and moments like that make me go, ‘Oh gosh! We’re in Westminster Abbey and this is the future queen talking to my kids about drumming’. I just think she’s a wonderful human. She cares about her legacy and I think that will only mean great things for future generations.”
As well as using her podcast to champion mums, Giovanna is a long-standing supporter of Kris Hallenga’s breast cancer charity, CoppaFeel!, having led its charity treks since 2017. And she revealed she can relate to the women taking part, as she had a cancer scare after her very first trek. Giovanna, who has three children with her husband, McFly musician Tom Fletcher, went on: “I felt something, so I went to the doctor and got a scan. So, I guess I understand how scary that is because your mind instantly goes, ‘Well, if it’s this…’. But thankfully I was absolutely fine.
“My aunt passed away after she got an infection while on chemo, another aunt has had it recurrently and my mum’s had a lump, so breast cancer has always been a part of our family… it’s something I was always aware of. Meeting Kris gave me a very clear understanding of what breast cancer really is and that it isn’t just something that happens to older women.
“Kris was dismissed by doctors because she was so young. It took her mum to go in with her and say, ‘You have to send her to the breast specialist’ for her to even get a diagnosis in the first place, then that was stage four cancer. That’s so scary. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so important for CoppaFeel! to bang its drum – so people realise they can advocate for their own health and that they can, and should, go to the doctor if they notice changes in their body. We want to end late diagnosis for breast cancer, because early diagnosis is everything.” This year marks 15 years of CoppaFeel! and Giovanna’s 10th trek with the charity.
The event, which will take place in the Brecon Beacons in June, will see Strictly pro Amy Dowden, 33, return as one of the team captains. And Giovanna – who drove for eight hours to be with Amy after her cancer diagnosis last year – said: “She’s doing well. It was always going to be hard for her to miss Strictly and the tour. But she and [her husband] Ben have had some time away.
“One thing she’s talking about a lot now is the fact that when you’ve had a cancer diagnosis, people see the end of your treatment as the end of it. But there’s so much that goes on after that. She’s still getting scans and MRIs, and mentally there’s still so much to process. Your body is not as it was.
“I’m looking forward to her being back on a trek and surrounded by people that totally get it. And they are really uplifting, life-affirming experiences. It never fails to choke me up every time someone says they wouldn’t be here if not for CoppaFeel! That’s why we have to keep going.”
Away from her campaigning, Giovanna has just completed a run as Miss Hedge in the hit West End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. And the actress, who previously played Jenny in 2:22: A Ghost Story and won ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2020, admitted that her theatre career has given her a chance to show fans a different side of herself.
She said: “There are different pockets I’ve found where I’m allowed to be Giovanna, rather than just Mum. When I’m writing and on the podcast, motherhood is the topic. But when I’m acting, it’s completely different. Miss Hedge in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is quite a hard character. She is very different to me. But that’s a joy. I remember when I was in 2:22, I loved the fact that Jenny used to lose it and throw a bowl.
“It was kind of, like, I could let it out then go home and be Mary Poppins, and that’s delicious. It is very funny when I’m playing a character who says things that are quite cutting, and the audience goes, ‘Oh! That’s not a Giovanna Fletcher reaction there’. I do like being seen as a nice person, though. To have people feel familiar with you straight away is a really nice thing.”
- Donate or find out more about Gi’s CoppaTrek! outings in the Brecon Beacons and the Himalayas at coppafeel.org/trek. Listen to her full interview at podfollow.com/inviteonly
