British actor star Lucy Davis – best known for playing receptionist Dawn Tinsley in hit BBC sitcom The Office – has revealed she is battling “incurable” stage-four breast cancer.

The 53-year-old said in a post on Instagram that she received the diagnosis a year and a half ago, after finding a tiny lump – “rather a kind of hard spot”.

The cancer has now “metastasised” to her bones, Davis explained.

“Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo.

“As of now, I’m trying to live out whatever might be left of my life in as fun a way as I possibly can.”

Stage-four or advanced breast cancer (also known as metastatic or secondary breast cancer) refers to cancer that has spread beyond the breast to other parts of the body, according to the National Beast Cancer Foundation in Australia.

Treatments such as chemotherapy and hormonal therapy may be used to control its growth and spread, or maintain quality of life.

“As some of you will know, the pain can really be something else,” Davis wrote in her post.

“Standing and walking for too long a time can be hard, and I need to use a wheelchair sometimes (so if you see me toddling around in one, feel free to give me a push!)”

The actor – who also starred in the Netflix series The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, 2004 horror-comedy Shaun of the Dead, and 2017’s Wonder Woman – added that humour was vital to her.

She has asked family and friends “to make fun of me as much as possible… and most importantly of all to not treat me like a sick person”.

“ There’s nothing that will make you feel more unwell than being treated as if you’re unwell.

“I’m not scared of whatever comes next. I’m at peace with it. I’ll see my Gracie sooner than expected, and for me, leaving my physical body just means going home. Any and all grieving is for my family; it’s far harder for them than for me.”

Gracie was the actor’s dog, who died in 2024 at the age of 17. In a tribute shared at the time, Davis said her beloved pet had taught her what unconditional love was.

 

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A post shared by Lucy Davis (@reallucydavis)

In her new post, she said she would keep working for animal rights, and as an actor: “I’m perfectly able to do so, and acting is one of the biggest joys in my life.”

Davis rose to fame playing receptionist Dawn in The Office, which ran in the UK from 2001-2003 and followed the lives of office workers at Slough paper merchant Wernham Hogg.

She and fellow stars – including co-creator Ricky Gervais as office manager David Brent and Martin Freeman as bored salesman Tim Canterbury – reflected on the sitcom’s success last month while celebrating its 25^th anniversary.

Speaking to Channel Nine’s Today show alongside co-star Patrick Baladi, Davis said she saw a lot of herself in the relatable character of Dawn.

“Having dreams and wanting dreams, and yet something keeps you stuck so much in life sometimes and you feel like things are just so far away from you – and I managed to change that around in my late 20s.

“But now at 53 that seems really young but it doesn’t when you’re that age. And so in terms of Dawn I really related to that part of it.”

@thetodayshow We’re massive fans of The Office UK, but it turns out some of the stars are fans of David and Belinda too! 🤯 #9Today ♬ original sound – The Today Show

–with PA