Television presenter and outdoor enthusiast Julia Bradbury has spent years urging the nation to get outside, breathe deeply and look after their health. Now, at 55, the former Countryfile and Watchdog star has revealed the shocking moment a routine full-body health check uncovered something no one expected: a cyst inside her brain.

Speaking exclusively in a raw and emotional new interview, Julia described the heart-stopping seconds when the radiologist’s face changed as he studied the MRI images. “He kept zooming in on one area,” she recalls. “Then he turned to me and said, ‘There’s a lesion in your brain. It appears to be a cyst, but we need to investigate further.’ I felt the room spin. A cyst? In my brain? I thought cysts were something you got on your ovaries or your skin – not floating around inside your head.”

The discovery came during a comprehensive private health MOT that Julia booked earlier this year as part of her ongoing commitment to wellness after surviving endometrial cancer in 2021. The scan, which combines MRI, CT and ultrasound imaging, is marketed as the ultimate peace-of-mind check-up for people in their fifties who want to catch problems early. Julia admits she almost cancelled the appointment. “I felt completely fine,” she says. “No headaches, no dizziness, no symptoms at all. If I’m honest, I only went through with it because I’d already paid and didn’t want to waste the money.”

That decision may have saved her life.

Doctors initially described the finding as an “incidental arachnoid cyst” – a fluid-filled sac that forms between the brain and the thin membrane (the arachnoid) covering it. While many arachnoid cysts are harmless and present from birth, Julia’s measures almost three centimetres and sits in a delicate position near the temporal lobe. “They told me most people live with these their entire lives and never know,” she says, “but mine is large enough to potentially to press on surrounding tissue if it grows or bleeds.”

The news triggered an avalanche of further tests. Julia underwent high-resolution MRI with contrast, a neurological examination, cognitive testing and consultations with two separate neurosurgeons. “I went from feeling invincible – hiking ten miles a day in the Lake District – to Googling ‘brain cyst symptoms’ at 3 a.m. and convincing myself I was hours from a stroke,” she laughs nervously. “Your mind goes to the darkest places.”

For weeks she kept the discovery completely secret, telling only her partner Gerard and their three children. “I didn’t want to worry my parents or alarm my kids until we knew exactly what we were dealing with,” she explains. “But carrying that alone was brutal.”

The turning point came when a specialist at a leading London neurology centre delivered unexpectedly reassuring news. Although the cyst is significant in size, it shows no aggressive features, no solid components and no midline shift of the brain – all red flags for something more sinister. Crucially, it appears congenital rather than newly formed. “They believe I’ve had it since I was in the womb,” Julia says, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’ve spent 55 years walking around with this thing in my head and never knew.”

Current medical advice is “watch and wait.” Julia will have repeat MRI scans every six months for the next two years to monitor for any growth or change. Surgery – which would involve drilling a small hole in the skull to drain or fenestrate the cyst – remains an option only if symptoms appear or the cyst enlarges. “The neurosurgeon was brilliant,” she says. “He told me the risk of leaving it alone is far lower than the risk of operating right now. That was a huge relief, but it’s still terrifying to think there’s something in there that could, theoretically, cause problems one day.”

The experience has profoundly shifted Julia’s perspective. The woman who once fronted BBC shows telling viewers to “embrace the wild” now finds herself grappling with the ultimate loss of control. “I’ve always believed that if you eat well, exercise and spend time in nature, you can outrun most illnesses,” she admits. “This has taught me that some things are simply random. You can do everything ‘right’ and still have a ticking time bomb you never knew about.”

She is particularly passionate about raising awareness of private full-body scans, despite their controversy. The NHS does not routinely offer whole-body MRI screening because evidence shows they often detect harmless abnormalities that lead to anxiety and unnecessary interventions. Yet Julia insists her case proves their value. “If I hadn’t had that scan, this cyst could have grown silently for another decade. By the time I developed headaches or seizures, surgical options might have been far riskier. Yes, these scans are expensive and they can cause worry, but for some of us they are literally lifesavers.”

Julia has also revisited every head knock she can remember – childhood falls, a car accident in her twenties, even heading footballs during charity matches. “I asked the consultant whether any of those could have caused it,” she says. “He just smiled and said, ‘No, you were born with it. Stop beating yourself up.’”

Today she is focusing on gratitude rather than fear. “I feel unbelievably lucky,” she says, eyes shining. “Lucky that it’s ‘just’ a cyst and not a tumour. Lucky that it was found early. Lucky that I have access to brilliant doctors.” She has stepped up her meditation practice, returned to wild swimming and is planning a family hiking trip to Snowdonia next spring – determined to live fully rather than live in waiting rooms.

Her message to others is simple but urgent: “Listen to your body, yes – but also remember that sometimes it can keep monumental secrets from you. If you’re over 50 and you have the means, consider a full-body scan. It might scare you. It might cost a fortune. But the alternative – finding out too late – doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Julia pauses, then adds with the defiant smile that made her a household name: “I’ve survived cancer. I’ve survived childbirth three times. I can certainly survive a cyst that’s been my silent passenger for half a century. Watch this space – literally.”

As she heads back to the hills that have always healed her, one thing is clear: this is one health scare with a surprisingly hopeful ending. For now, at least, the cyst stays, Julia stays strong, and Britain’s favourite walker keeps putting one foot in front of the other – three centimetres of surprise notwithstanding.