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The Office star Lucy Davis' life - famous dad, Hollywood roles and terminal cancer

Actress Lucy Davis, best known for playing Dawn Tinsley in The Office, has been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer and recently broke the sad news to her loyal followers

[The 53-year-old actress has been secretly battling cancer for over a year]

The 53-year-old actress has been secretly battling cancer for over a year(Image: Lucy Davis/Instagram)

Lucy Davis has informed her fans that she "doesn't know how long she has left" after being diagnosed with terminal, stage four breast cancer. The savage disease as "metastasized to her bones" and she has been fighting the illness for a year and a half.

The Office star, 53, decided to keep her condition under wraps and has only just come out to bravely inform the public of her health issues. UK fans will know her from The Office and Shaun of the Dead, but did you know she has also starred in a number of Hollywood productions?

In light of Lucy's harrowing announcement, the Daily Star is taking a look back at the talented actress' career, her previous health struggles and her famous father's life.

Screen Star

[Lucy's breakout role came when she landed a part in the UK version of The Office]

Lucy's breakout role came when she landed a part in the UK version of The Office

She rose to fame as Dawn Tinsley in The Office alongside Ricky Gervais as David Brent, Mackenzie Crook as Gareth Keenan and Martin Freeman as Tim Canterbury. The show ran from 2001 to 2003 and was hugely popular in the UK, sparking a US spin-off starring Steve Carrell.

UK comedy fans will also recognise her as Dianne from 2004's Shaun of the Dead. She has also appeared in Casualty, The Bill, the TV series Pride and Prejudice, One Foot in the Grave, Doctors, Holby City, Ugly Betty, Phineas and Ferb, Family Guy, Death In Paradise, NCIS and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

On the silver screen, Lucy has had roles in Garfield 2 and Wonder Woman.

Famous Father

[Lucy's comedian father presented Golden Balls and her mother donated Lucy her kidney]

Lucy's comedian father presented Golden Balls and her mother donated Lucy her kidney

Lucy's dad is comedian Robert Davis, who is also known as Jasper Carrott. The TV star has an OBE, hosted the popular UK gameshow Golden Balls from 2007-2009 and played Sykesy in The Archers in 2023.

He reportedly began going by the name Jasper at age nine and later added Carrott during his teen years.

He was inducted to the Birmingham Walk of Stars in 2007, only the second inductee behind Ozzy Osbourne. Jasper was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards back in 2008.

Health Issues

[Lucy has sadly been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer]

Lucy has sadly been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer

The actress had a kidney transplant back in 1997 using an organ donated by her mother, and was once hospitalised for kidney failure in 2005. Lucy has also previously struggled with bulimia, which grew worse when she was divorcing actor Owain Yeoman back in 2011.

She told The Telegraph: "In my 30s, I would have hated to look like this. I probably wouldn't have gone out much. I'd diet for a week and then eat all the food I hadn't consumed in the previous seven days in a single day."

"Now, I think I'm just normal. But my head didn't think that then. This period of binge and purge was at its worst when my marriage came to an end."

On 11 August 2026, Lucy took to Instagram to make an announcement that no-one expected. She posted: "A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Breast Cancer, which has metastasized to my bones. Specifically to my spine, right hip, and my ribs. The cancer is incurable, and too late for chemo."

The actress urged her followers to "get everything checked out" as her initial lump "wasn't a lump as such, rather a hard spot". She even admitted that she "almost didn't bother getting it checked".

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