‘I have a constant reminder to make the most of every day’
When she was hit with a breast cancer shock, MICHAELA STRACHAN returned to her passion for singing and musicals and believes we should all join her...
There is nothing I love more than going to see a good musical with some ridiculous storyline
If I were Prime Minister I would say that everybody should sing every day! It’s free and it can be such a mood changer. My new mantra is sing a song in the car. When I had breast cancer I used to sing Tubthumping by Chumbawamba, which includes the lyrics: ‘I get knocked down but I get up again.’ That’s how I felt.
I’ve had a few serious knocks throughout my life. You just pick yourself up and put a smile on your face. Some people have very hectic lives and it’s difficult to do that, but expectations are so high these days. People think they should be living this amazing Hollywood-style life. But life has its ups and downs, and the downs make you stronger.
Autumnwatch on BBC Two, which I co-present, is an intense programme to do because you have to be on the ball all the time. But my passion before I became a wildlife presenter was musical theatre. There is nothing I love more than going to see a good musical with some ridiculous storyline where people suddenly burst into song. It’s such an escape. I love it!
I really believe we have to do something every day to make us smile. There is so much stress in the world and we all take on so much. Social media has taken over and we are all losing sight of what is important. It’s much better to connect to the person next to you than it is to connect to 100 people on a social-media page. Or go and walk outside and just breathe deeply.
I respect my body more now and am very grateful for the health I have. I just lost a close friend to cancer and it’s a constant reminder to make the most of every day. Get rid of the negatives in your life and embrace the positives. Do the things you want to do now, not in 10 years, because who knows what is going to happen to any of us?