A Heartfelt Reflection: Barry Du Bois on His Cancer Battle and Enduring Friendship
In the wake of a devastating loss in the Australian entertainment world, another beloved television personality has bravely shared his own deeply personal journey. Barry Du Bois, a familiar face from the long-running lifestyle program The Living Room, recently became visibly emotional while recounting his protracted battle with incurable cancer. His candid reflections came during an appearance on the podcast Double A Chattery with Amanda Keller and Anita McGregor.
Du Bois, now 65, is best known for his role as a co-host on The Living Room, a show that ran concurrently with a significant portion of his 15-year fight against cancer. The former builder, designer, and developer’s initial foray into television was as the host of the reality series The Renovators in 2011. Although the show was axed after just one season, it paved the way for his next significant television role.
The Spark of a Lifelong Friendship
In 2012, Du Bois was invited to co-host The Living Room alongside Amanda Keller. It was during this period that a profound and enduring friendship blossomed between them, a connection that Du Bois describes as the genesis of the best chapter of his life. He recalled their first meeting at a Channel Ten function, a moment that marked a turning point for him.
“I had been through a lot in a short amount of time,” Du Bois shared on the podcast. “And when we say a lot, I had cancer, I’d been given three months to live, I’d had major surgery, I had radiotherapy, I’d had all sorts of stuff.” He also alluded to the professional uncertainty he faced at the time, with his first TV show being labelled a “flop” despite its eventual success. “And then I met you and that night, I think we talked about everything from my cancer to relationships to IVF, miscarriage all that sort of thing.”
Keller echoed his sentiments, fondly recalling their immediate connection. “We were like soulmates, weren’t we? We just went bang,” she said. “We went deep very quickly.” This rapid and deep connection laid the foundation for a successful on-screen partnership that spanned 10 seasons of The Living Room before the show concluded in 2022.
Facing the Unthinkable: A Three-Month Prognosis
A particularly poignant moment during the podcast was Du Bois’s recollection of the stark prognosis he received in 2011. He was informed by a panel of doctors that he had a mere three months to live.
“I was in a room with three other doctors; three doctors and my team as they called themselves,” he recounted. “And the first doctor said to me, ‘My best advice is you go home, tidy up your affairs and spend as much time as you can with your loved ones. You’ve got about three months to live’.”
This devastating news, delivered just before Christmas, was met with a defiant refusal from Du Bois. “And I said to the next two guys, ‘I don’t know where you’re at with this, but I believe in me and I’m not interested in that narrative, so if you want to be in my team, I want to know that you believe that I can beat this, and if you do, then we’ll work together’.”
His unwavering determination was clear: “Option A for me was living. There was no option B.”
The Long Road to Resilience
Du Bois’s initial diagnosis in 2010 was plasmacytoma myeloma, a cancer affecting the immune system that targets healthy bone marrow. The disease had severely damaged the vertebra at the top of his spine, necessitating extensive surgery to stabilise his neck, followed by high-dose radiotherapy.
He ultimately defied the grim prognosis, but his battle was far from over. In 2017, he received a diagnosis of a related, incurable blood cancer: multiple myeloma. At this time, his twins were only six years old, a reality that fuelled his resolve to fight.
His subsequent treatment involved multiple rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Keller vividly remembered the deeply emotional episode of The Living Room where Du Bois publicly shared his relapse.
“When your cancer came back, we were on The Living Room. That hugely emotional episode where you told the audience what had happened,” she said, inquiring if he ever regretted sharing his journey so openly.
Du Bois explained that the intention behind going public was to provide viewers with an authentic portrayal of the realities of cancer treatment. “The idea for that was that we would announce it [and the viewers] would see me go to the depths, which it is. That’s what cancer treatment is,” he stated.
- He acknowledged the visible toll the treatment took:
- “You saw me lose my hair, you saw me lose weight. I was struggling in a lot of ways…”
- However, he also highlighted the subsequent strength and recovery:
- “…but I knew deep down that they would also see me come back and be strong again and thrive after cancer.”
The impact of his openness resonated deeply with many. Du Bois expressed immense pride that “thousands of people every day, every year, say, ‘I was in that journey with you. My dad was going through this, my uncle was going through that, and seeing you every Friday night kept us going’. So, it’s a very rewarding thing to do.”
Living with an Incurable Disease: A Victorious Spirit
While Du Bois has openly stated that he will never be cancer-free, his outlook remains remarkably positive. He shared with the podcast hosts that he is currently doing exceptionally well.
” ‘[I’m] going fantastic. You know that I’m doing really well. My beautiful children are growing. I stay as healthy as I can and loving life’,” he affirmed.
Barry Du Bois has been married to Carol Tobler since 1999, and together they are raising their now 13-year-old twins, a son and a daughter. His enduring spirit and willingness to share his personal triumphs and struggles continue to inspire many across Australia.
