FRIDAYS WITH KAT: Kat Timpf Talks Beating Cancer, Becoming a Mother, and Awkward Conversations

Kat Timpf, Fox News Contributor, Gutfeld! co-host, and author of I Used To Like You Until… (How Binary Thinking Divides Us), opened up about her remarkable and emotional journey into early motherhood, as she gave birth and being diagnosed with breast cancer within just 24 hours just months ago. Kat shared the surreal (and “awkward”) experience of breaking the news to close friends and family, the flood of public reaction, and how her story has inspired others facing similar battles. Kat also reflected on returning to Gutfeld!, launching back into her comedy tour, and the overwhelming support she’s received from fans. She credited her husband Cam as an “incredible rock” through both the beginning of motherhood and her ongoing fight, and you can listen to the full interview below.

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Read the full transcript of Guy and Kat’s conversation below:

Guy Benson: Well, it has been a long time since we had our last installment of Fridays with Kat, but I am very thrilled to inform you that Kat is back. Fox News contributor, co-host of Gutfeld, best-selling author Kat Timpf from our New York headquarters, Kat, welcome back.

Kat Timpf: Thank you. I was pregnant, right? The last time.

Guy Benson: You had a lot of things going on. It was like, it was your last radio interview with us before you went on maternity leave. Right. And several things have happened in your life since that all went down. So I just want to tell you this. I just got back a few days ago from an event in Kansas. I was in Wichita. And something happened there that happens every single time I travel for a speaking gig or to talk to people without exception over the last roughly year. People ask after you. They want to know how you’re doing. They want know how your health is. They want how your kid is doing. So I give them the very positive updates, but let’s just rewind the clock. Cause I think we have talked about this many times all fair, but not here with this audience. You said sayonara to us. You were going to go and have your first child. Very exciting. Tell us about what happened that day.

Kat Timpf: Well, yeah, I mean what happened that day was I was diagnosed with cancer and then that night I went into labor and I had a baby and then a month later I had both of my boobs removed to get all the cancer out and then I found out they did get all of the cancer out. And then I went back to work for a month. And then I had my first reconstructive surgery like three weeks ago. And now here I am sitting here eating some soup. Well, I’m not eating on the air. I mean, I am not an animal, but I was eating some soup and that’s the short version.

Guy Benson: Yeah, and so I remember the day, it was maybe like a day or two after you gave birth.

Kat Timpf: Yeah.

Guy Benson: We got sort of, I think the text message about details on the baby and the name and all that. We were so excited. Yeah. And then you call. Yes. And I was expecting, this was maybe, maybe your husband called me, but I got a phone call coming in from you guys. I’m like, oh, they probably have some sort of like early parenting question or advice. Right, right. I was so excited and then it was like, hey, yeah, things are pretty good, but.

Kat Timpf: It’s so awkward telling people you have cancer.

Guy Benson: Well, especially when everyone’s expecting wonderful news. And there was wonderful news, because the baby’s great and so cute and all these things. But there was this cancer detail that just stunned us. I know it’s got to be overwhelming still for you to think about. How, because you said this to me, and it really stuck with me. This was now months and months ago. You believe, and I cannot argue with this, that this child of yours may have saved your life.

Kat Timpf: And it’s impossible to know what happened, right? It is impossible to what happened. But yeah, and I do remember that call and it was really, it is awkward. I think whenever I told someone I had cancer, I think I followed it up with like, but it’s chill. You know, cause I was like, oh, but it’s just a little bit of camp. Like it’s still.

Guy Benson: Yeah, but it’s a different C-word, cancer and chill don’t go together.

Kat Timpf: It’s truly not. Even the best case scenario for cancer is truly not chill. But you know, I didn’t wanna make anyone worried. I didn’t wanna make people feel bad. And I think the reason I did actually reach out to you guys, I mean, of course we’re close friends, but also I wanted advice about feeding a baby without any boobs in the home, which is what you guys had to do, which is something that I was not expecting to have to do. That became something that I did have to do. Yeah. And I remember when I first noticed something, that was the worst thing I could imagine was that the bump that I noticed was gonna interfere with my ability to breastfeed. That was the worse thing I can imagine. But it was so.

Guy Benson: But it was something and you had said that if you were not about to be in a mindset of breastfeeding a child, you probably would have just now ignored it.

Kat Timpf: I would have totally ignored it. If I wasn’t seeing the doctor all the time, I would’ve totally ignored. And who knows if I would never had kids and I would of gotten cancer at some point probably. I woulda been looking. I mean, I’m only 36 years old. So I mean it was an easy choice to decide to remove everything and not have to worry about it. But it was a tough thing to go through. But I mean I’m. It’s so nuts because I’m obviously, it’s tough. It’s a tough thing to have gone through. It’s tough thing still go through. I don’t, you know, I’ve lost something that I’m not gonna gain back again. But at the same time, I’m so grateful for how things worked out. I’m grateful that I have a platform that I can share this. And I love when people tell me not to talk about it. Yeah, we’ll get to that. Because I’m, so how grateful you should be that this doesn’t resonate with you. If the biggest problem you have is that you’re annoyed hearing me talk about it. Then you should be thankful for that.

Guy Benson: I think that sometimes the term privilege is overused in our society that might be a real example of it Right if that’s the position from the peanut gallery you’re throwing stones I just wanted to rewind again because it’s this this whole process And decisions that you had to make right rapidly right because this and thank god. This was very early

Kat Timpf: Yeah, very.

Guy Benson: So they were able to catch it super early and then they presented you with various options So you were talking to us about that and trying to figure out. Okay, what am I gonna do? And you clearly made a decisive call and and went with your gut And I think it was the right call for you and just made total sense There was also this question because you’re a public figure Yep, in addition to gut felt and your tour and the books like people were gonna want to know Something about your update and your baby and it would have felt a little weird and you were telling me this to me like Hey, here’s the good news and then not share the really tough news. So how did you figure out how and when to go public with the happy thing everyone was anticipating and waiting for and then the gut punch that no one saw coming?

Kat Timpf: It was I kind of always knew that I would. But it was a tough choice because, you know, it’s I didn’t want to kind I didn’t know how to talk about it. I was still processing it at the time. I’m still processing it now, to be honest, totally. But I didn’t feel it didn’t feel right or authentic. And it just also was. I, people needed to know because of the things people kind of kept saying to me. Um, people were saying things to me well intentioned and how could they know or imagine people were seeing things to meet just for one example, you know, just focus on the baby and this time, everything else can wait, focus on the baby. And it’s like, there’s this piece that they don’t know about where it’s like, Oh, actually, if I just focus on the Baby and everything else, can’t wait or like, I could die. Right. So I-I-I I felt like I had to share it. I felt I had share it

Guy Benson: I felt like I had to share it. The other thing is, and this is not necessarily a top reason, but part of what you are, part of who you are.

Kat Timpf: Yeah.

Guy Benson: Brand is the wrong word, but part of what you do is share very transparently about your life, right? You’ve done, in both of your best-selling books, it’s been a lot of that. So if anyone was going to share, it was going be you, but I think it also is helpful because I think, of course, that word is so scary for all the obvious reasons to everyone. And then you’re someone, like here’s someone who is, you know, at the top of her game, thriving in life, having an amazing career, in her mid-30s, very young. And then this thing comes crashing into your reality and your world. Have you heard from people, like has it been, has your openness been helpful to other people? I have to imagine it has been.

Kat Timpf: I have. I have heard from people. I have, when I’ve seen people kind of, some people will maybe tweet at me or post on Instagram comments that they were diagnosed with the same thing, and I DM them, or they maybe have a sister or someone, I DM’ed them and I try to be as helpful as I can be. I did not expect to hear that I had cancer because of my age. And I think that we’re hearing, I mean, I don’t know if it’s just because I’m looking for it, but I feel like we’re hear more and more every day another young person who has cancer. And I think that I hope that me talking about it might make other young women check their boobs, make them, you know, pay attention and not go crazy. I mean, truly, this has been a little bit bad for my hypochondria to get cancer at 36. But so not go crazy with it, but realize this is a possibility and pay attention. And also it’s It’s embarrassing, I don’t wanna say it’s embarrassing but it is because you talk about, when I talk about my cancer, I’m talking about my boobs. And to lose your boobs a month after you give birth, it’s just so horrifying and I am not gonna, I’m not gonna sugar coat that. Really tough, really, really tough. I really enjoyed breastfeeding. I had to stop for a reason beyond my control. But there’s a lot of women out there who have lost their boobs too. And I wanna kinda talk about it in a way like, you don’t have to be embarrassed about this. And, you know, and I definitely don’t want to say that I’m never sad because I am sad. Sometimes I cry sometimes and there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m probably always going to have those moments, but that you can go through something like this and it’s not going to have the kind of power over me where it’s going to stop me from making jokes about it or laughing about it. I am going back on the road. I did one right before my second surgery weekend of shows. And it’s been so amazing not that all my jokes are about this, but. Some of them are and to get people to laugh at this stuff and laugh with me is so Cathartic and so amazing I’m going I mean, I’m I’m going to like the Midwest in the winter and I’m still excited. I’m going to Michigan Wisconsin and Minnesota in the fall and winter are but I’m very very excited

Guy Benson: You know, I know there’s been this rally around Kat Timpf sentiment at Fox, and it’s been little things like Jessica Tarlov has sent you these hilarious games.

Kat Timpf: Yeah, yeah.

Guy Benson: With really funny messages on them. When I came to visit you for the first time, I brought fruits of varying sizes, increasing sizes two at a time, and I presented them in a very dramatic way because I knew it was gonna make you laugh. I know the executives have really been generous about making sure you have everything that you need, time off, the Gutfeld people have been fantastic. Some of our friends filling in for you on Gutfeld for weeks on end. Has that? Had an impact, in addition to the audience and all the wonderful things they’ve said, just people ask me these questions all the time about you, so I just want to let you talk about it in your own voice here, rather than trying to answer for you.

Kat Timpf: It does. It means so much to me to see the way people in my life have shown up for me because I don’t know how I would have gotten through it otherwise. And also just it is overwhelming to see people who have never even met me like be wondering if I’m OK. You know, it does it actually means a lot to me. I’ve had people send me stuff and I haven’t even gone through it yet all. But I do like I read the cards and and it’s it’s it is overwhelmingly because of course, there’s people who are mean. Which is just beyond comprehension. But the fact that people are supporting me who have never met me, people who might not even agree with me on everything politically.

Guy Benson: You’re on prayer lists, right?

Kat Timpf: Yeah, it’s it’s really it helps it does help it does

Guy Benson: And I’m sure that is music to the ears of a lot of people who’ve been thinking about you, praying for you, caring about you. All right, Kat, how is motherhood?

Kat Timpf: I love it. I love I, you know, I never saw myself ever doing it. And I don’t think the audience probably saw me doing it, but it’s it’s just been so amazing. I really love it, he’s like my little dude and.

Guy Benson: He looks just like you.

Kat Timpf: Looks exactly like me.

Guy Benson: For a second, for a hot minute there, he looked like Cam.

Kat Timpf: He looked like Cam, but no, he doesn’t.

Guy Benson: It’s like, no, that is a Kat Timpf baby boy.

Kat Timpf: Yes, and he’s got it. He’s starting to have believe it or not a bit of an attitude I know it it’s great. He performs like he performed like when he when somebody new comes over He giggles he shows off. He is cute He’s performing for people and then once he feels like they’re hooked He’ll kind of stop and I’m just like this is so crazy. Like he’s gotten a bit an attitude He’ll get like sick of us and he’ll want some

Guy Benson: Like, manipulative cuteness.

Kat Timpf: I’m like, are you manipulating people? Like, you’re not even six months old yet. How are you being manipulative? But he’s so cute. He’s so sweet. I mean, I get up with him every morning and I go and he smiles at me. And it’s just the best like hit of dopamine that you could ever get. It’s so crazy to see a face that looks like you smiling up at you. It’s so stupid and like so hack to say, but it’s definitely the best choice I’ve made. You know, I’m I’m really glad that I did it.

Guy Benson: Well, and people kept telling me, and I’ve mentioned this on the air before, but people were telling me and us before our son arrived, oh, you’ll never know love like this. Your heart will grow a size and a half once you see him. And I always kind of smiled and nodded and all that, but in my mind, I was sort of rolling my eyes, like, okay, just relax. I’m gonna love my kid, but I understand the human condition. We’ll be fine here. It’s not gonna really, it’ll change our life, but I’m not gonna get all mushy like that. And then The second that child was in my presence for the first time when he arrived on the scene, it happened. Like I had that heart thing happen and something lock into my brain like, oh, it is on, I am responsible for this person. And it was this like achievement unlocked next level of love and responsibility that just all of a sudden arrives. And I can only imagine how that whole sort of swarm of feelings and emotions must have felt while also dealing with this this cancer question at the same time that is just too huge. Yeah, sort of blows wonderful and terrible at the same time. How’s it been on cam your husband?

Kat Timpf: He is amazing. I mean, I’m just amazed by him. I mean I’ve really, really tested the sickness and health thing. I mean. I’ve been like very sick for a young woman who, and also, you know, like I’m in shape. It’s not like, you could, neither of us could have seen this coming. Between you know the ostomy bag that had a few years ago and then this it’s like he could have he could do a shift At a hospital probably with like learning how to care for me after all these various surgeries He could step he has an honorary nursing degree at this point and I I mean I am not for the week Just my personality and who I am as a woman And a person it takes a really strong man to be able to be with me And then add this on top of it I mean, it’s just, I’m so glad that I chose this person. I’m the, I am so glad that I choose this person because I don’t know. He has been my rock through all this. And you know, the fact that it’s like, I enjoy being with this person, I get excited to come home and see this person I know that’s so gross, but it’s true. He is my best friend. He is best friend

Guy Benson: And I’ll just say this because we’re all friends, we talk a lot, we hang out, and I’ve heard him complain many times about just various things in life. Never once have I heard him say one word of complaint about any of these difficult sacrifices that you guys have gone through, which is just incredible. And then one thing that you said, because we’ve got to go here in a second, one thing that that you’ve said now for months, you’re like, hey, even before the cancer and everything, before your baby arrived, you were like, we’ve gotta go on vacation with our families and our kids together. Let’s do that in the future for years to come. We always would talk about it. Yeah. And then you’ve gone through all this stuff. And then, you came back to me and to Cam. You’re like, no, like, let’s do it. I want to plan something. I want look forward to something. And so, Cam and I have been plotting together. And we’ve got something on the calendar many months from now with an amazing group. And it’s something that I’m already so excited for, Kat.

Kat Timpf: I’m so excited too.

Guy Benson: I’m just so grateful that you were willing to come on and talk about all of these things We have not talked on the air in months

Kat Timpf: I know.

Guy Benson: This is just meaningful and I can’t wait until we talk again in private and also on the air. Thank you.

Kat Timpf: Ah, love you, buddy.

Guy Benson: That’s Kat Timpf from Fridays with Kat on the Guy Benson show.