Kylie Minogue announced that she was diagnosed with second stage cancer in 2021 | Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue revealed that in early 2021 she was diagnosed with cancer again, after being diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer in 2005.

The pop star opened up about the undisclosed illness in a new Netflix series called Kylie, available today. “My second diagnosis of cancer was in early 2021. I was able to keep it … Not like the first time,” he said, referring to his first successful treatment.

“Luckily, I made it. Again. And all is well. Hey, who knows what’s next, but pop music inspires me… my passion for music is greater than ever.”

Minogue said that after receiving treatment, she struggled to “find the right time” to make public announcements, including the huge success of her Grammy-winning 2023 Padam Padam.

“I don’t feel compelled to tell the world, and actually I couldn’t because I was a human mask,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave home at the same time. Padam Padam opened many doors for me but inside I knew that cancer was not just a problem in my life. And I just wanted to tell what happened so that I could let it go. I sat down to ask questions at every opportunity I thought, ‘this is the time’, but I kept to myself.

She said her 2023 single Story, from her album Tension, is about a period in her life, with lyrics such as “I had a secret that I kept to myself… Minogue said of Story: “I needed to have something that reflected that time.”

In promotional material accompanying the documentary, Minogue said she “wanted to share” the information, and that she was found after a routine check-up. “There will be someone out there who could benefit from a gentle reminder to get tested… The early diagnosis was very helpful and I’m happy to say I’m fine today.”

Minogue, 57, was 36 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2005. She canceled the rest of her Showgirl tour, and pulled out of her Sunday headline show on Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage to receive treatment in Melbourne.

Supporters surrounded her including Elton John, pop star and cancer survivor Delta Goodrem, and Prime Minister John Howard, who said: “I think all Australians feel for her and I wish her well.”

But Minogue was targeted by the media, which led Steve Bracks, the premier of the state of Victoria in Australia, to remind the paparazzi and the press about the laws on harassment, and “strong laws, privacy laws around medical records, about access to information, about treatment: these are confidential matters between the doctor and the patient”.

After treatment, Minogue was given the all clear. In 2008, he said he didn’t know him well: “My message to all of you at home is that, just because someone is wearing a white coat and using big medical equipment, it doesn’t mean they’re telling the truth…

Minogue returned to music with the 2007 album X, which produced three UK Top 10 singles: 2 Hearts, Wow and In My Arms. He later shot Glastonbury again in 2019, a performance that was described as “the most amazing” in five stars. Guardian Review.

He later remained a staple of pop culture, particularly after his smash hit Padam Padam, which returned him to the UK Top 10 for the first time since 2010 and earned him a Grammy for best dance performance. In 2025 added Christmas No 1 to his to-do listand her Xmas single, and Kylie’s follow-up Christmas (Enough Covered) also topped the charts – drawing her level with David Bowie and Eminem on the list of all-time chart-toppers.

The new Netflix documentary is in three parts, and will be directed by Michael Harte, who directed four successful Netflix documentaries on David Beckham. As well as Minogue, it features interviews with her sister Dannii, as well as former bandmates Jason Donovan and Nick Cave, among others.

Minogue added in an ad accompanying the launch: “There are a lot of people for whom cancer is part of their lives and, I get it; you just want to move on and put it in the past or put it aside.