Popular Mel McLaughlin has revealed she has been battling lung cancer, the same disease that claimed the life of her sister, after months away from television.
The 46-year-old sports presenter, a familiar face on the Seven Network’s Sydney 6pm news bulletin, disclosed the diagnosis during an emotional conversation with anchor Mark Ferguson on Wednesday after viewers began asking about her “empty chair”.
McLaughlin said the diagnosis had been particularly painful given her family’s history with the disease. Her older sister Tara died from lung cancer in 2019 at the age of 39.
“It’s very traumatic. It’s very triggering,” she said. “It’s just a lot of emotions, and also, you don’t want to worry anyone.”
McLaughlin revealed she was first diagnosed in December, just as the summer cricket series was beginning. Determined to keep working, she kept the news private and even delayed surgery so she could host major Test matches over the festive season.
She presented coverage of the Boxing Day Test and the Sydney Pink Test while quietly undergoing hospital tests in between broadcasts. “I was shuffling between the cricket and the hospital,” she said.
McLaughlin has since undergone surgery to remove half of her lung.
One of the most difficult moments, she said, was telling her parents about the diagnosis – a conversation she delayed until just 48 hours before the operation. “In our family, lung cancer meant death. We had one example, and we lost her,” she said.
Her sister Tara, a police officer and mother of two who had never smoked, developed the disease due to a genetic mutation.
Recalling the moment she received her own diagnosis, McLaughlin said she struggled to process the news. “I cried, and then I laughed, because it’s like, is someone having a laugh? Is this a joke?”
She described her sister as a “spectacular human being” and said facing the illness had reopened deep grief.
Surgeon Dr Levi Bassin said he believes McLaughlin’s cancer was caused by a different genetic mutation. Crucially, it was detected early, something the presenter believes may have saved her life.
McLaughlin said she likes to think her sister was “looking out for her”. “That’s what big sisters do,” she said.
The presenter has now decided to speak publicly about her experience to encourage others to take symptoms seriously and seek early testing.
According to the Cancer Council Australia, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the country, responsible for nearly one in five cancer deaths nationwide.
McLaughlin’s absence from television had prompted concern among viewers, particularly after she stopped posting on social media following Jane McGrath Day earlier this year.
Fans flooded her pages with messages asking about her wellbeing. “I hope you are ok Mel, we’ve been missing seeing you on the TV hoping you’ll return soon,” one wrote. “Where are you Mel? We miss you on our screens,” another said.
McLaughlin had initially taken six weeks of approved leave and was expected back in February but remained absent, including from the media contingent that travelled to Las Vegas for the opening round of the National Rugby League season.
She said recovery from both the cancer and major surgery has been slow but remains hopeful about returning to work.
For now, she hopes sharing her story will raise awareness and help others recognise the importance of early detection.
Images: Instagram
