Emotional Jessie J vows to ‘beat breast cancer’ in final performance before surgery

Jessie J has made a triumphant return to the Capital Summertime Ball 2025 after revealing her breast cancer diagnosis.

The Price Tag hitmaker recently shared that she was diagnosed with ‘early breast cancer’ a few months ago and plans to undergo surgery.

Consequently, her set at Capital’s STB with Barclaycard marks her final performance before she retreats from the limelight for a while.

Jessie, 37, was all smiles as she rocked up to Wembley Stadium this afternoon, posing confidently for cameras before treating the thousands-strong crowd to live renditions of her hits.

The pop star looked gorgeous in all black, sporting a figure-hugging mini dress with sheer mesh sleeves and matching tights.

She slicked her famous raven locks back into a bun and accessorised with minimal jewellery and natural makeup.

The beloved British star later took to the stage in a white frock and fur coat, where she told the audience of 80,000: ‘I haven’t been to Summertime Ball for 11 years, and I’m not gonna leave it another 11 years, because I’ll be 48 years old.’

‘Are you ready to party?’, she asked, launching into a set of tunes including her debut smash, Do It Like A Dude.

Later on in the set, Jessie became incredibly tearful as she addressed her breast cancer with a defiant message.

‘If you know of my career or you don’t, or if you discovered me last week or right now or 15 years ago, you’ll know that I’ve always been an open book, a very honest person, and today, this show is my last show before I go and beat breast cancer,’ she shared.

‘It’s so special to me, you have no idea.’

Jessie continued: ‘I feel so proud to be from the UK and to be this honest person; we just say what we feel, and this being my last show before I go and have surgery and all the things is the most special thing, and I’m so grateful for this life, for you guys, for my career, my son, my partner, my parents, my family, my band, my crew, my people…

‘We’re so lucky; we have so much to live for.’

She was well and truly embraced by the stadium, which cheered wildly in support of her as she got choked up.

Jessie joined a mightily impressive lineup for this year’s Ball, JADE opening the show before the likes of Mariah Carey and Will Smith’s performances.

As she left the stage to rapturous applause, she yelled out: ‘Hug your friends! Tell people you love them.’

Ahead of her appearance, Jessie confirmed that she is due to ‘disappear for a bit’ after bowing out in spectacular style, holding onto the fact that her cancer was picked up ‘early’.

The star, whose real name is Jessica Cornish, explained in an Instagram video that she has spent much of her recent time ‘in and out of tests’.

‘I was diagnosed with early breast cancer. Cancer sucks in any form, but I’m holding on to the word “early”,’ she shared.

Maintaining her typical comedia streak, she continued: ‘It’s a very dramatic way to get a boob job.

‘I am going to disappear for a bit after Summertime Ball to have my surgery, and I will come back with massive t**s and more music.’

Jessie wanted to make the news public so she could process the news and was also keen to show solidarity with others going through a similar experience.

‘I just wanted to be open and share it,’ she stated. ‘One, because, selfishly, I do not talk about it enough. I’m not processing it because I’m working so hard.

‘I also know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support, and also their own stories. I’m an open book.

‘It breaks my heart that so many people are going through so much similar and worse—that’s the bit that kills me.’

She continued: ‘The timing of it has been mad but also beautiful and given me this incredible perspective in this time.

‘But honestly, I need to process it and talk about it, and I need a hug. You have loved me through all my good and hard times. And I don’t want this to be any different.’

Jessie has been inundated with messages of support from her celebrity pals, including Rochelle Humes, Rita Ora, Michelle Visage, and Paloma Faith.

She’s also been praised by Macmillan, with chief nursing officer Claire Taylor saying after she shared her diagnosis: ‘Receiving a cancer diagnosis is a life-changing moment for anybody, and our thoughts are with Jessie and her family.

‘Her openness in sharing her story will not only bring comfort to others who are facing a similar situation, it will also raise vital awareness of breast cancer and the importance of early diagnosis.

‘We know that diagnosing cancer early can mean treatment is more likely to be effective and potentially less complex.’

Since her initial post detailing the dreaded news, Jessie has kept fans updated, including on the low moments.

The Domino songstress wrote on June 9 that the day before was the ‘worst’ she’s had amid a busy three months.

‘Work. Toddler. Cancer. Life etc had my mind [low battery emojis],’ she shared on Instagram.

‘Panic attacks/ tears/ big fears /anger /overwhelm Bad. And you know what helped?

‘I ate corn on the cob. Turns out it’s extremely hard to panic or cry while eating one. Highly recommend. Instant mood shift,’ she said.

A few days later, the Bang Bang vocalist, who released her single No Secrets in April, unveiled her latest tattoo, which has a special meaning.

The inking shows a line drawing of two fluffy clouds overlapping, which she got done while teasing her other song, Living My Best Life.

‘I got this tattoo to remind me there is always a silver lining to every cloud,’ she penned, shouting out her other half, basketballer Chanan Colman, and their son, Sky.

‘My happy clouds,’ she said sweetly.