The Today Extra Host and His Wife Lisa Reveal How the Beloved Kath & Kim Star Is Coping with Stage 4 Mantle Cell Lymphoma – “She Laughs at Everything, Including the Cancer”

David Campbell and his wife Lisa have shared a poignant update on their close friend Magda Szubanski’s ongoing battle with stage 4 mantle cell lymphoma, revealing that the Australian comedy icon is facing her diagnosis with the same irrepressible humor that has endeared her to generations. In a candid appearance on the Stellar Something to Talk About podcast released Tuesday, the couple described Szubanski’s spirit as unbroken six months after her shocking May announcement, emphasizing her ability to “laugh at everything,” even the cancer itself. “She’s still Magda—making us smile through the toughest days,” David said, his voice thick with emotion. “Laughter is her medicine, and it’s working.”

Szubanski, 64, the beloved star of Kath & Kim and Full Frontal, first shared her diagnosis on Instagram in late May, appearing with a freshly shaved head and a defiant grin. “I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare, very aggressive lymphoma,” she captioned the video, explaining that the cancer was discovered incidentally during a routine breast screening when her lymph nodes were found enlarged. Opting for the Nordic Protocol—a cutting-edge chemotherapy-immunotherapy regimen—she has since undergone multiple rounds of treatment in Melbourne, surrounded by “beautiful friends and family and an incredible medical support team.” “It’s pretty confronting,” she admitted then, “but new treatments keep coming down the pipeline all the time.”

David and Lisa, longtime family friends (Szubanski is godmother to their daughter Betty), were among the first to hear the news. “We were in shock,” David recalled on the podcast. “She called us right away, and even then, she was cracking jokes about her bald head being the new trend.” Lisa added, “Magda’s humor is her superpower. She laughs at herself, at the cancer—it’s kind of true what they say: laughter is the best medicine. It makes people feel better.” The couple described visiting her in hospital, where Szubanski’s bedside manner remains as sharp as ever. “She’ll be hooked up to machines and still doing impressions of her doctors,” David laughed through tears. “It’s temporary, and she’ll come through it to make us laugh again.”

Szubanski’s journey has been marked by resilience. Pre-diagnosis, she had been proactive about her health, starring in the 2022 ABC series Magda’s Big National Health Check, where she confronted risks like diabetes, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, and autoimmune arthritis. The lymphoma, a rare non-Hodgkin blood cancer affecting the lymph nodes, was an unexpected blow, but her response has been characteristically bold. In August, she was inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame via video link, joking about her “chemo couture phase” and thanking supporters for the “tsunami of love.” Recent updates show her battling “chemo brain” and numbness, yet she remains upbeat, sharing Lego builds from fans to combat boredom and posting from her hospital bed: “Chemo’s smackin’ me around, but you really cheered me up.”

The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. Upon her announcement, stars like Hugh Sheridan (“Massive hugs”), Grace Tame (“So much love and courage”), and Poh Ling Yeow (“Hope you can feel all the strength”) flooded her comments. David Campbell wrote, “I love you so bloody much.” Szubanski, ever grateful, has urged fans to “wave enthusiastically from a safe distance” during her immune-compromised phase, knowing their love “lifts my heart.”

As treatment continues, friends like the Campbells hold onto hope. “She’s surrounded by the best,” David said. “And that humor? It’s her armor.” For Szubanski, the fight is personal but shared. “I feel that much stronger to deal with the cancer,” she posted in August. Australia’s comedy queen isn’t just surviving—she’s shining, one laugh at a time. Fans worldwide send strength: her story isn’t over; it’s just getting funnier.