Oxfordshire mum features in video with star from The Traitors

When mum-of-one, Sophie Oates discovered a lump in her breast, she found herself hearing the words, ‘it’s cancer’ just a few years after losing her brother-in-law to oesophageal cancer. 

After having life-changing surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy that helped her beat the disease, Ms Oates, 42, credits a song for helping her stay positive every day. 

Now she’s united with celebrities and scientists who’ve chosen inspirational songs to launch Cancer Research UK’s ultimate Race for Life playlist – #PlaysForLife.

Ms Oates stars in a new video alongside winner of season three of the hit BBC One show The Traitors, Leanne Quigley, Strictly star Amy Dowden, broadcaster Jamie Theakston who has recently been given the all clear from cancer, comedian Fats Timbo and Loose Women TV presenter Kaye Adams.

Ms Oates said: “It was such a shock to be told I had cancer. I just broke down. I had to get some strength to live for my daughter who was just eight at the time and that’s when I started to play Why Worry by Dire Straits.

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Sophie Oates and her daughter Sedi (Image: Stuart Martin/ Cancer Research UK) “The words lifted me up each day to face my treatment and it brought me so much comfort to keep going. It meant so much to me, my husband had the lyrics printed on a canvas to look at every day. I hope others will be inspired by it too.”

Ms Oates and her daughter Sedi, 10, will open Oxford’s Race for Life on June 29, firing the klaxon as hundreds of people set off from University Parks to complete the 5k and 10k.

She’s urging others across the UK to sign up to their local event at raceforlife.org and add their own song to the #PlaysForLife playlist.

She said: “At first I thought I had just found a cyst in my right breast and that they would take it out but then I just heard the word ‘cancer’.

“Initially I just told those close to me as I didn’t want Sedi my daughter to worry. But when I went for my mastectomy, I explained that I had cancer and that they were going to take it away.

“Thankfully I had caught it early and it hadn’t spread to my lymph nodes but I still needed chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

“The treatments were tough and they changed my skin tone, took my hair and my energy. But I had to live though it and buy myself more time to raise my daughter.

“That’s when I would listen to Why Worry by Dire Straits as it really helped me push on through.”