Tracey Emin, 60, admits she was 'the lowest of the low' before her cancer diagnosis after forgetting her roots and becoming 'snobby' and a 'bit nasty' The British artist reevaluated her career after a bladder cancer diagnosis READ MORE: Jess Glynne and Alex Scott's glamorous red carpet debut at Cannes Film Festival has cemented their power couple status after a secretive start to their romance By Alanah Khosla Published: 06:22 EDT, 29 May 2024 | Updated: 06:37 EDT, 29 May 2024 e-mail 10 View comments Hospitalised in intensive care for four days in 2020 as she waited to find out her prognosis after being diagnosed with cancer , all Tracey Emin could think of was her career. Thankfully, the outcome was not terminal, and though the famed British artist, 60, had her urethra removed, a hysterectomy, lymph nodes, bladder, part of her bowel, urinary tract, and half of her vagina removed, she can say she survived bladder cancer. As is usual for people with life-threatening conditions, Tracey reassessed her life following her diagnosis - which later saw her move back to Margate, ditch her 50-a-day smoking habit, and shine a spotlight on her 'snobbish' tendencies, she has revealed.
Perhaps most important for the 60-year-old was that she re-evaluated her career and decided that there was no better time than the present to make her mark in the world of art. In conversation with The Guardian , she said: 'I was in intensive care and waiting for the prognosis – whether I was going to live.