You’ve probably seen the headlines. Maybe a weird, blurry photo popped up in your feed showing Hilary Farr in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask. It looks terrifying. The caption usually says something like "devastating update" or "she might not make it." Honestly, it’s enough to make any Love It or List It fan's heart drop.
But here is the reality: Hilary Farr is very much alive. She’s actually doing great.
Those viral posts? They are "crazy AI stuff," as Hilary herself put it recently. In late 2025, a wave of fake news articles started circulating, preying on her history with the disease to farm clicks. It got so bad that Hilary had to hop on Instagram to prove she wasn't, you know, dying. She literally stood in front of one of the fake articles and said, "Ta-da! I’m alive."
Still, the reason those rumors stick is that they are built on a grain of truth. Hilary did fight a very real, very scary battle with breast cancer. She just didn't tell us about it for years.
Does Hilary Farr have cancer right now?
The short answer is no. As of early 2026, Hilary Farr is in remission.
She was first diagnosed way back in 2014, but she kept the whole thing under wraps while she was filming HGTV hits and sparring with David Visentin. It wasn't until 2021 that she finally went public. She told People magazine that she "could have been dead" because of how her treatment was initially handled.
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That’s a heavy statement. It turns out her journey wasn't a straight line from diagnosis to cure. It was a messy, frustrating, and at times frightening ordeal involving multiple surgeries and a major medical oversight.
The timeline of her diagnosis
It actually started in 2012. Hilary went in for a routine mammogram—the kind we’re all told to get but often put off—and doctors found a lump.
- 2012: She had a lumpectomy. The results showed the tumor was precancerous. Relief. She moved on.
- 2014: Another mammogram. This time, it was invasive breast cancer.
- The Oversight: After her second surgery, an oncologist told her she was "fine" and didn't need more treatment.
She trusted that. Why wouldn't she? But a few months later, she found out that was wrong. She actually needed radiation immediately. Hilary has been vocal about the "absolute fury" she felt when she realized she’d been given bad advice. She ended up filing a formal complaint against that oncologist, who eventually retired.
Why she kept her health a secret for so long
Hilary is known for that "stiff upper lip" British attitude. She grew up in the world of professional ballet—the Royal Ballet School of London, specifically. In that world, you dance through the pain. You don't complain. You just show up.
She applied that same logic to cancer. While fans were watching her renovate houses and roll her eyes at David’s real estate choices, she was secretly undergoing 28 days of radiation.
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She even worked through her recovery. Looking back, she’s admitted that "powering through" might have been a mistake. It made her short-tempered and exhausted, and she didn't give herself the space to actually process what was happening. She’s since changed her tune, now encouraging women to talk about their health instead of hiding it.
Survival and advocacy
By 2017, doctors found another lump. Luckily, this one was also precancerous. After three lumpectomies and a grueling round of radiation, she finally hit remission.
She’s used her platform lately to partner with the American Cancer Society. She isn't just saying "get checked"; she’s talking about the nuance of being your own advocate. She’s openly regretted not asking more questions back in 2014. She’s told SurvivorNet that she even considered a mastectomy just to be "done with it," but was told at the time that her tissue had been too damaged by previous procedures to heal correctly.
Life after Love It or List It
A lot of people linked her departure from Love It or List It in late 2023 to her health. While she’s in remission, she has said that her cancer battle changed her perspective on life.
She wanted more joy. More time with her grandkids. More time with her dog, Puff, and her cat, Suki.
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She didn't quit TV entirely—her solo show Tough Love with Hilary Farr allowed her to work on her own terms—but she definitely slowed down the breakneck pace of her earlier career. She’s even taken up meditation and moved toward a more plant-based diet.
What we can learn from Hilary's story
Honestly, the biggest takeaway isn't just that she's okay. It’s how she got there. Hilary’s story is a reminder that even "experts" in white coats can get it wrong.
- Question everything: If a diagnosis feels too simple or a treatment plan feels incomplete, get a second opinion. Hilary’s life was literally saved because she eventually got the radiation her first doctor said she didn't need.
- Don't ignore the routine stuff: That 2014 diagnosis only happened because of a routine checkup.
- Ignore the "death hoaxes": If you see a weird ad or a "breaking news" story about a celeb being on their deathbed, check their official social media. Most of the time, it's just AI-generated clickbait designed to steal your data or sell you fake supplements.
Hilary is 74 now and looks incredible. She’s busy living her life, proving that a cancer diagnosis doesn't have to be the end of the story. It was just a very difficult chapter in hers.
If you’re looking for more ways to stay on top of your own health, start by scheduling that screening you’ve been putting off. As Hilary says, "face it." It’s terrifying, but it’s better than the alternative.