The Traitors’ Livi says she's a ‘fighter’ as she speaks out about eye cancer
Livi Deane is currently battling it out in BBC One's The Traitors as a Faithful, where she shared the story of her eye cancer and prosthetic.
The Traitors contestant Livi Deane has called herself a "fighter" and has courageously spoken out about the cancer that led to her having a prosthetic eye.
Deane is currently competing as a Faithful in hit BBC One series The Traitors. In Thursday's episode, she struggled to accept that best pal Taylor Smith had been banished from the castle after the group became wrongly convinced that he was a Traitor, and she was shown rushing out of the round table in tears.
But viewers needn't worry too much about Deane's resilience on the show, as before going in she spoke about her tough early experiences in life after losing her eye to cancer and how it has made her stronger.
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The Traitors' Livi says she is 'a fighter'
Ahead of her debut in the BBC series fronted by Claudia Winkleman, Deane backed herself to be able to deal with the pressures of The Traitors.
She said: "I’m so excited for the missions! I’m a fighter, I've been through a lot in life, I had my eye removed at 14 and at the time I didn't cope with it very well. When I had my eye removed, I had to adjust to a whole way of living. At the age of 14 all my friends were experiencing being a teenager and growing into adulthood, and I was starting chemotherapy.
"I've always just got on with it, I've never dwelled on it, and I've adjusted to my new life. I think that comes with everything now, I never give up, I always push and I want to succeed."
The beautician and model, now 26, added: "I've got a baby boy now, and I've never been away from him. He's 15 months old, so I wouldn't be going into The Traitors if it wasn't important to me, I'm doing it for him. I've got a few phobias and if I was faced with them, I would still take them on because I don't want to let the team down."
Livi's links to Katie Piper
A recent episode of The Traitors showed Deane getting ready for bed without her prosthetic eye, which she had previously explained more about to her fellow contestants.
But fans who have been following the TV star's Instagram account will know that she frequently shares photos without her prosthetic to raise awareness and acceptance for others in a similar position.
Deane was featured in TV star and campaigner Katie Piper's The UnSeen book series, which follows the stories of people with disabilities or whose appearance has been affected by accident or illness. It focusses on their involvement in fashion, beauty and their careers.
The Traitors star's UnSeen book, My New Normal, was published in September 2024 and tells her story of being diagnosed with a rare retinoblastoma when she was 12. After two years of treatment, she had to have her eye removed aged just 14. It tells how she suffered from depression after the surgery, and how she has found confidence in the years since.
Just a month before she published her book, Deane posted that she had been in remission from cancer for 13 years and was now able to have check ups at her local hospital rather than travelling up to Moorfields eye hospital in London.
In week one of The Traitors after the first time that she spoke about her prosthetic eye, Deane posted to say that her honesty over her health had been appreciated by viewers in similar circumstances.
She wrote on Instagram: "Tonight I also opened up about my journey losing my eye to cancer. I wanted to thank all the lovely amazing people who have reach out and to those who have been through similar situations… you’ve got this."
What would Livi do with the Traitors prize money?
After the latest banishment, an upset Deane spoke about how much of a team player she is and how determined she was to catch out Traitors.
As one of the Faithful, she is hoping to make it to the final - but if she and her fellow Faithfuls succeed in winning the jackpot, what would she do with the money?
It's an easy call for Deane, who is a big supporter of charity the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust.
She said: "I definitely want to donate some money to the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust. They've done so much for me, they helped me when I lost my hair, they helped me get a wig. They've helped me with getting my perfect prosthetic eye which I'm so happy with.
"I've been so unhappy with previous prosthetic eyes and people wouldn't even notice now. I'm so grateful for them and I want to help the other children going through it. It’s from the ages of zero to five and they go through so much at such a young age, it would mean everything for me to just give something back."
