Johannesburg – Award-winning South African musician and television personality Holly Rey is breaking the silence and talking about Diabetes, South Africa’s leading cause of death, which claims 79 lives every single day. On the new podcast, Diabetes Matters, Holly is turning her personal experience of living with Type 1 diabetes into an educational, entertaining and potentially life-saving series of conversations, and we’re all invited.
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Launching on the 11th of November, in time for World Diabetes Awareness Day on the 14th, Diabetes Matters aims to challenge the stigma surrounding diabetes, address healthcare inequalities and encourage more informed conversations about chronic illness, metabolic health and wellbeing, offering accessible to easily understandable insight into living with diabetes, and living well.
Diabetes remains one of South Africa’s most pressing public health challenges, with the Johannesburg Declaration for Accelerated Action on Diabetes recognising it as a national public health crisis. While awareness around early diagnosis is critical, Holly believes greater attention must also be given to the education of symptoms, for those who are yet to be diagnosed, the realities people face after diagnosis, access to treatment, education, and ongoing healthcare.
“Living with diabetes for nearly twenty years has taught me that managing a chronic condition is about so much more than medication. Surviving renal failure changed the way I think about my health and made me realise how many people are navigating similar challenges without access to the information or support they need. I believe the right conversation, at the right time, can change someone’s life,” says Holly.
Table of Contents
World Diabetes Day
Diabetes Matters brings together medical specialists, people living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, educators and caregivers, for honest, accessible conversations about broader metabolic health. Bridge the gap between medical expertise and everyday understanding, Holly will navigate topics like nutrition, mental wellbeing, everyday disease management, medical research and the challenges facing South Africa’s healthcare system, while drawing on her own lived experience.
“We need to challenge misconceptions and move beyond conversations that focus only on diagnosis or place blame on people living with diabetes. We need to talk about what happens after diagnosis, the support people need and the realities of living with a chronic condition. My hope is that Diabetes Matters helps people feel informed, understood and confident enough to ask questions and seek the care they, or their loved ones deserve,” holly adds.
Launching ahead of World Diabetes Day, with support from Weltek and MSN Laboratories, Diabetes Matters aims to extend the conversation beyond an annual awareness campaign, encouraging greater understanding of diabetes and the importance of early intervention, informed healthcare decisions and equitable access to care. The podcast will be available on YouTube and Spotify to ensure ease of access.
About Holly Rey
Holly Rey is an award-winning South African singer, television personality, producer and diabetes advocate. She is a SAMA and SAFTA award winner, and also the winner of the first season of The Masked Singer South Africa. Having lived with Type 1 diabetes for nearly two decades, she advocates for greater awareness, education and equitable access to diabetes care.
Her Personal Battle
Holly Rey’s advocacy stems from her lifelong journey and recent life-threatening health complications:
- Misdiagnosis & Early Life: Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 11, she was initially misclassified as having Type 2, resulting in a critical ICU admission before receiving the correct treatment.
- Severe Complications: Recently, her diabetes led to a major health setback involving kidney failure, high blood pressure, and severe anemia, forcing her to temporarily step away from the recording studio to recover.
- Patient Visibility: By visibly wearing her continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump in public, she hopes to re-educate the public on what living with diabetes actually looks like day-to-day
“Diabetes management is not about discipline or willpower; it’s about biology. Two people can eat the same meal and need completely different amounts of insulin.”
– Holly –
About Diabetes Matters
Diabetes Matters is a South African health and education podcast hosted by Holly Rey and produced by Rey Productions. The series features conversations with medical professionals, people living with diabetes and caregivers, exploring diabetes, metabolic health and overall wellbeing
Source and References
https://sweetlife.org.za/meet-holly-rey-sa-star-with-diabetes/
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