Jane Fallon, the British author and television producer and longtime partner of Ricky Gervais, has revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer a month ago.
Sharing the news on Instagram, the 65-year-old said the cancer was detected very early and that her prognosis is “excellent”. Her post also highlighted how routine screening can pick up changes even when there are no obvious warning signs.
“I had a routine mammogram a week before Christmas. I had no symptoms but the brilliant radiographer spotted something iffy & sent me for further tests & eventually a biopsy,” she wrote. “Since then I’ve had more mammograms, more biopsies and an MRI so they can pinpoint the problem area precisely.”
“It’s been a lot, I’m not going to lie,” she continued, acknowledging the intensity of the past few weeks as she moved through repeated tests.
Fallon said she is scheduled to have surgery in two weeks. While she did not go into detail about the procedure, she reassured followers that she is being well looked after and is taking things gently for now as she prepares.
“I’m getting incredible care and all will be fine but I’m not engaging with much beyond audiobooks & jigsaws tbh,” she added.
Alongside her message, Fallon shared a selfie, plus photos of her stuffed bear “Dr. Eric” and her cat Pickles, including a drawing of Pickles in a nurse outfit. The light-hearted images added a touch of humour to an otherwise serious announcement, and she captioned them with a joke: “Dr Eric on duty. Nurse Pickle wondering when lunch is️.”
Fallon and Gervais, 64, have been together since 1982 after meeting as students at University College London. Over the years, Fallon has occasionally spoken about what she believes has helped keep their relationship strong, focusing on practicalities, friendship and a shared sense of humour.
“To paraphrase Joan Collins, separate bathrooms is the secret to a happy relationship — separate bedrooms would be a disaster though!” she told the Daily Mail in 2018. “Other than that I don’t really know; it sounds pathetic, but you just have to get on,” she continued. “You’ve got to be friends, and you have to be able to laugh.”
She also explained that marriage was never a priority for them, saying they simply did what felt right for their lives rather than following expectations. “We’re not married because neither of are fussed,” she explained. “I think if one of us really cared then we would probably do it but it’s not really been anything that either of us have ever really needed.”
