Doctors Gave My Wife 18 Months… We Got 12 Extra Years | Pete Cohen

Begin Again with Davina McCall

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Thursday, 23 July 2026 - 51 minutes

She was given just 18 months to live. They got 12 more years together.

In this episode of Begin Again, motivational speaker and bestselling author Pete Cohen joins Davina to share the extraordinary love story that changed his life forever.

Pete opens up about meeting his wife Hannah by chance, falling in love as she was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour, and why leaving was never an option. Together, they faced impossible decisions, raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for life-saving treatment, and defied every expectation to build another twelve years together.

But this conversation is about much more.

Pete reflects on the regrets that still stay with him, why he wishes he'd been more present with Hannah, and how grief transformed the way he thinks about love, fear and what really matters. He shares how watching Hannah embrace life in the face of death changed him forever, and why her legacy continues to shape the way he lives today.

Davina and Pete also explore the fear of losing the people we love, what it means to truly show up for someone in their darkest moments, and how grief can become a reminder to live more intentionally rather than something we simply survive.

This is a conversation about love, loss, resilience and the extraordinary impact one person can have on your life, even after they're gone.

If you've ever loved someone deeply, lost someone you couldn't imagine living without, or wondered how to carry on after heartbreak, this episode is for you.

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✨ Watch Pete's award-winning documentary, Team Hannah, and learn more about Hannah's extraordinary story: https://www.teamhannah.com/ 

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(00:00) INTRO (01:14) Pete Cohen and Team Hannah (01:53) Growing Up With Learning Difficulties (03:12) Struggling at School (04:17) Becoming a Fitness Coach (05:12) How Pete’s Parents Shaped Him (07:32) How Pete Met Hannah (09:45) Hannah’s Brain Tumour Diagnosis (12:31) Chronic Fatigue and Finding a Mentor (14:32) Raising Money for Cancer Treatment (16:14) Falling in Love Through Cancer (17:05) Experimental Cancer Treatment in America (19:48) Ancient & Brave Ad (20:50) Do Health Ad (22:00) Why Pete Filmed Hannah’s Journey (24:14) Grief and Celebrating Through Suffering (27:16) Pete’s Biggest Regret (31:33) Hannah’s Love of Quilting (36:50) Ten Years Cancer-Free (37:47) A Gift From Hannah (39:32) The Team Hannah Documentary (43:23) Davina’s Mission for Begin Again (44:07) Pete’s Next Chapter (47:44) Advice for Grief and Caring for Someone

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