Jenny-May Clarkson has asked New Zealanders to "please get checked" for bowel cancer, in a recent Instagram post. Photo / TVNZ, Instagram @jmayclarkson
Jenny-May Clarkson has asked New Zealanders to "please get checked" for bowel cancer, in a recent Instagram post. Photo / TVNZ, Instagram @jmayclarkson
Breakfast co-host Jenny-May Clarkson has issued an emotional plea to Kiwis to check their bowel health after revealing a surprise finding at her latest colonoscopy procedure.
The 50-year-old TV presenter is no stranger to speaking candidly about the dangers of bowel cancer after she lost her olderbrother, Jeffrey Coffin, 56, to the disease in 2018. Now, she has reminded New Zealanders of the importance of getting checked regularly.
Taking to her Instagram story yesterday, she shared an image of her patient wristband in the hospital waiting room, after undergoing the procedure.
Breakfast hosts Chris Chang, Jenny-May Clarkson and Daniel Faitaua.
“Colonoscopy done,” she wrote. “My bro died of bowel cancer 6 years ago. I had a polyp removed today.”
A bowel polyp is also known as a colonic or colorectal polyp and is a small growth on the lining of the bowel. While they are common and often not serious, they can sometimes develop into bowel cancer.
Clarkson continued to say at her last check five years ago, she had no polyps and has had this one removed for analysis. She said it “all appears ok”.
The broadcaster then made a plea to New Zealanders, asking them to “take care of yourselves and please get checked”.
Clarkson has been open in her grief since losing her brother and broke down on air last year during a Breakfast segment that hit particularly close to home.
In September when the popular TVNZ morning show checked in on the development of the Southern Charity Hospital, founded by Melissa Vining – wife of the late Blair Vining, 10,000 special charity bricks were being laid, one of which belonged to Clarkson’s family.
The brick is inscribed “Clarkson’s community hub”, and the host became emotional as she watched on from the studio, saying she was “just so grateful for Melissa and everything that she is doing, that’s just a very special thing that our family could do”.
Clarkson circled back later in the episode, telling viewers: “I got very emotional earlier, and I think the reason I got quite emotional is that the Warriors played [over the weekend] and that team - who my brother who passed away from bowel cancer, it was his ultimate team.
Breakfast co-host Jenny-May Clarkson found herself in tears during an emotional Southland Charity Hospital segment in September. Photo / TVNZ
“Right from the beginning, he was a huge fan of that team and so was my father and so when I saw, just being down there, the hospital, I just got very emotional because it was all very tied.”
In the years since her brother’s death, the broadcaster has been an active spokeswoman for Bowel Cancer New Zealand and has frequently talked about the impact his death has had on her and her family.
In 2022, while fronting the Move Your Butt challenge as part of Bowel Cancer Awareness month, she said, “Cancer is such a hideous thing, no matter what kind of cancer it is. But because my brother died of bowel cancer, I’m acutely aware of it.”
That year, the Labour Government announced as part of their Budget that they would lower the testing eligibility age for Māori and Pasifika from 60 to 50. Clarkson welcomed the announcement and said it would save hundreds of lives.
