He’s been missing from our television screens over the last few months amid his ongoing battle with cancer, but now Barry Du Bois is set to return to Aussie screens on Friday with his co-stars for the new series of The Living Room.
The TV star, 58, will join Amanda Keller, Miguel Maestre and Dr Chris Brown to present his weekly property and renovation segment on the show amid his ongoing treatment for plasmacytoma myeloma – cancer of the immune system.
Barry was diagnosed with the illness in 2017 for the second time, after first battling it in 2010, and he’s since shared regular updates on his journey with his Aussie fans to inspire others to remain positive amid their own health battles.
Now, speaking in an exclusive chat with Starts at 60, the father-of-two has revealed he doesn’t currently require any chemo or radiotherapy, but is undergoing an experimental treatment to “fill in some holes that were once tumours in bones”.
“I’m on an ongoing experimental treatment, which they’re punching away with, but treatment is as much about the things you do as it is medicine,” he explained. “My diet is in great shape, I’m getting great exercise, I’m having great conversations with beautiful people which is great for my brain.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfMp8nxlU16/
Praising the constant support of his children and wife, he then added: “I’ve [also] got my beautiful friends on the Living Room … Your brain and psyche have to be in good shape, your gut has to be in good shape as well, [and] your muscles have to be in good shape.”
Barry will celebrate his 60th birthday next year, and while he’ll no doubt be making big plans for the milestone nearer the time, he joked that his main goal was to “stay living”.
The property expert shares twins Arabella and Bennett with his wife Leonie, and asked if he’s told them about his illness this time round, the TV favourite explained: “No-one’s getting out of here alive, we’re all dying, and I don’t focus on that. They know that daddy was in hospital last year but they also know that if we eat well and exercise well and don’t walk around with no shoes on in the rain, we’ll be healthier.
“They’re very excited I’m back on the telly soon though!”
Leonie, who has previously overcome cancer herself, has been a constant support to Barry throughout his hospital stints and ongoing treatment over the years.
“She’s been a support to me since the day I met her,” Barry said of his devoted wife. “I think we’re a sum of every day added up. Everything good and bad that’s ever happened to us has a lot to do with the way we think about every day that approaches us.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsuWF3SF3tM/
Barry is regularly praised for his positivity and happiness, both on and off The Living Room, and he insisted he’d advise anyone to focus on a similar mindset when they’re going through difficult times.
“My advice for anybody about anything is just see what you’re going to get from your investment,” he said. “If you invest in DIY, you’re going to get something that you created, if you invest in positivity and maybe smile at someone, you’ll probably get a smile back.
“If you’re going to invest in negativity, there will probably be a bad dividend.”
Barry is known for his incredible renovation works on The Living Room, as well as valuable real estate and building advice following years in the field. His return to the new series will see him doing a renovation for a same sex couple with a blended family. While one of the parents has three children, the other has two, and they’ve currently got three boys sharing one room. Viewers will watch as Barry renovates it so each boy has a space for themselves.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bun3nYTgt8y/
Asked how it felt to see their reactions to his work, Barry said: “It’s one of the beautiful things about this show. Each week we get to teach someone how to do something they never would have taken on before.
“That was the case with these two, and then I get to reveal the room which was just a gift. It’s one of the gifts of life. You challenge someone with an idea, they get nervous but they’re confident enough to go with you, and you open their eyes and they see something they could never have dreamed about.”
He added: “I’m excited to be back with the family and just really happy, really excited. It feels like a long time, last year was all over the shop and this year we’re all fit and healthy and all punching forward.”
The new series of The Living Room returns to Channel 10 on Friday, March 29 at 7.30pm