“I beat stage 4 tongue cancer”— House of Knives winner Shirley Chung celebrates victory in an Instagram post
The coveted House of Knives finale was aired on May 6 and saw four people competing for the title, including Anne Burrell, Shirley Chung, Martel Stone, and Claudette Zepeda. Shirley won the battle after she faced off against Claudette in the final battle.
She took to her Instagram to announce her victory on the show. Notably, while the show was filmed long before Shirley was diagnosed with cancer, she was recovering from it afterward. In her victory post, Shirley also announced that she was now cancer-free.
"We shot this in the summer of 2023, riding on my winning fighting spirit, I beat the Triple Threat Titans, and most recently, I beat stage 4 tongue cancer," she said.
Shirley posted the post on May 8, two days after viewers saw her win the finale. In the comment section, fans, judges, and her fellow chefs poured in with good wishes and love.
Shirley Chung's Instagram post after she won House of Knives
Shirley opened her victory post by announcing that she had won the show. She said that she had become the "queen" who won the first season of House of Knives. She added that it was the beginning of a series of battles that she fought and won.
She added that House of Knives was her favorite competition so far because not only did she get to compete with a group of "amazing formidable" chefs, but also got to cook her own style of food without any restrictions.
"And…. For those of you know me, you know I LOVE this type of a little over the top, fun, silly setting!" she added.
She then shared that the show was filmed in the summer of 2023, giving a timeline of when it all happened before revealing that she had fought stage 4 tongue cancer. She also added that she had "arrived", referring to the resilience she showcased through the show and later while fighting the life-threatening disease.
The show's host, Scott, in the comment, expressed that her victory was well deserved. Furthermore, her fellow finalist, Anne, also took to the comment section to say,
"WELL DONE!!! VERY well deserved Queen!!!! Huge congratulations. Lovely!!! It was AMAZING to get to know you and especially to cook with you!!!"
House of Knives contestant Shirley's cancer diagnosis
Shirley announced that she was diagnosed with stage four tongue cancer in July 2024, in an Instagram post, long after House of Knives was filmed, and had added that the cancerous cells had spread to her lymph nodes.
She said that the symptoms started as dental problems in December 2023, but she was too busy to see a dentist. Later, the oral surgeon discovered a hidden tumour under her tongue, and she was diagnosed.
Further in the post, she added that in June, she received news on her treatment options. She either had to cut her tongue, or could opt for an experimental procedure where she could keep her tongue, and they would cure the cancer with chemo and radiation. She opted for the latter because she said her tongue was more important to her than a longer life.
"I chose to keep my tongue, I am a fighter, I am a chef, I can be that unicorn too," she said.
In an Instagram post, made in December 2024, she shared that she had completed 10 weeks of chemotherapy and had eaten a few weeks later had eaten her first solid food. Fans were glad to know that she wasn't battling cancer anymore and that she was completely cured.
For more updates on House of Knives star Shirley Chung, fans can follow her on her official Instagram account, @chfshirleychung.
