After bravely facing two life-changing battles with cancer, Sarah Ferguson has shared how she has overcome a lifetime of feelings of “self-doubt and self-judgement”, emerging with a renewed sense of purpose and optimism.

After triumphing over breast cancer, Ferguson faced another health challenge recently when she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Thankfully, she was given the all-clear by doctors that the cancer had not spread.

With those difficult days now behind her, Ferguson has opened up about the emotional transformation these experiences have sparked.

“My melanoma scars, the scars of my cancer, it took me being literally carved up to cut away the addictions of self-doubt and self-judgment that I have lived with since the age of 11,” she told the Daily Telegraph.

“Don’t wait to be cut open in order to cut away the addiction.”

For Ferguson, her struggles with self-worth had, for years, manifested in a complex relationship with food.

“My addiction was my addiction to food,” she revealed.

“I ate to compensate for my feelings.

“It started at 11, my whole world was food, and my life was in the corner on the bottom right-hand side.”

While her cancer journey was no doubt daunting, Ferguson revealed that coming out on the other side shifted her perspective entirely.

“When I got cancer I put my life back in the middle and food back in its rightful place, not intentionally,” she said.

“It just happened because I realised that I was eating instead of living.”

At 65, Ferguson now embraces her life as “a badass grandmother” who is “now free of the shackles of unworthiness and self-doubt”.

“I am a badass grandmother with a sense of purpose, a badass grandmother, a sexy, sappy, badass grandmother,” she said.

Ferguson’s insights come after she recently celebrated her 65th birthday. In celebration of the special occasion, Ferguson took to Instagram in which she shared how “incredibly grateful” she is “to be here every day” while offering her sincerest thanks and gratitude for everyone who has wished her well on her birthday.

“Thank you for all of your wonderful birthday wishes!” she began.

“I’m feeling incredibly grateful to be here every day, to smell the flowers, to read and write, and to be able to see my daughters and my grandchildren.

“It has been an extraordinary, full year – a year of recovery and of growth – and I just feel so lucky. Thank you again to all of you who made it so and who took the time to send me birthday wishes.”

Fans wasted no time in wishing Ferguson a happy birthday while praising her for all she has done to raise awareness for cancer.