Daily Mail

I had to work through my cancer battle

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A RADIO 4 presenter has told how she carried on working during her battle against cancer because she could not afford to take time off.

Front Row host Kirsty Lang, 55, originally held a staff contract at the BBC, but was forced to give it up when she asked for her hours to be cut because of family commitment­s.

When Miss Lang later had to undergo gruelling cancer treatment, she had no choice but to go into work because her personal service company (PSC) status meant she was not entitled to sick pay.

In an emotional statement to the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee yesterday, Miss Lang told MPs she felt the BBC, who she has worked for on and off for 33 years, had hung her ‘out to dry’. Describing the background to her change in status, she said: ‘It was very important to me to be on staff… In 2013 my son started having very bad problems with school. I did two jobs at the time on the BBC… I asked if I could go part time and if I could just do Front Row.’

Asked about being told she had to set up a PSC, Miss Lang said: ‘I didn’t really feel I had a choice because of my family situation.’

She added: ‘My stepdaught­er died suddenly and I was unable to take bereavemen­t leave. I went back and did a show before the funeral – I had to bring some money in. A few years after that, I was diagnosed with cancer – I had surgery, radiothera­py, chemothera­py… I worked the whole way through.’

 ??  ?? Evidence: Kirsty Lang
Evidence: Kirsty Lang

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