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Jessie J was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2025
Amber Raikenin New YorkWednesday 03 December 2025 19:08 GMTComments
CloseJessie J explains why she hugged Kate Middleton after being ‘briefed not to’
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Jessie J has shared why she broke royal protocol by hugging Kate Middleton at the Royal Variety Performance last month.
The pair spoke after the singer, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, performed at the Royal Albert Hall, where the Prince and Princess of Wales were also entertained by the West End cast of Paddington The Musical and Laufey.
During the interaction, Cornish and Middleton shared a sweet hug over their respective experiences with cancer. The singer said in November that when she hugged Kate, they acknowledged that cancer was “not easy to go through” in the public eye.
Now, Cornish is opening up about her chat with Kate and how special it was. During Wednesday’s episode of This Morning, Cornish revealed that when she spoke to Kate, who was diagnosed with cancer last year, she was “briefed not to” hug her.
“I just saw a mom that has also gone through cancer publicly, and I just wanted to give her a hug,” the “Domino” singer, who was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in April, explained. “It was as simple as that. I didn't see her as the Princess of Wales. I mean, obviously I did, and I was respectful.”
open image in galleryJessie J says she was ‘respectful’ when breaking royal protocal to hug Kate Middleton (Getty Images)
open image in galleryJessie J and Kate Middleton shared a hug at the Royal Albert Hall in November after discussing their respective experiences with cancer (Getty Images)“And I said to her, ‘Can I give you a hug?’ And she received it,” she added. “I just said, ‘It's inspiring.’ I know the days that she has maybe gone through, and I just wanted to give her a hug, mom to mom, human to human.”
Kate was diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer in March 2024. After the diagnosis, she faced a nine-month treatment and underwent “preventative chemotherapy.”
In January, she confirmed that she is officially in remission for cancer. She shared the news the same day that she made a surprise visit to the Royal Marsden Hospital, where she was treated.
Kate has also spoken about how the cancer has taken a toll on her family, including her and Prince William's three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, seven.
“It is a life-changing experience both for the individual patient, but also for the families as well – and actually it sometimes goes unrecognized, you don’t necessarily, particularly when it’s the first time, you don’t appreciate how much impact it is going to have,” Kate said in July, during a visit to Colchester Hospital in Essex.
Meanwhile, Cornish has also spoken openly about her cancer diagnosis. On her Instagram Story in June, she said that her breast cancer was “all gone,” after she had a mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery.
During her recent appearance on This Morning, the “Do It Like a Dude” singer gave an update on her health, noting that she is doing well. She called her story “very simple in the best way it could have been,” since she didn’t have to undergo chemotherapy to treat the cancer.
“The beauty of all of this is I’ve had quality time with my mom, I’m more present as a parent. My boobs look better,” she said. “I’m here. And I’ve been able to have these beautiful, connection talks with people.”
Cornish shares her two-year-old son, Sky, with her boyfriend, basketball player Chanan Colman. The couple was first linked in 2021.
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