Carol Decker Now: T’Pau Singer, Cancer Survivor, and Advocate

It’s been nearly 40 years since “China in Your Hand” topped the UK charts, but Carol Decker isn’t content to rest on 80s nostalgia. The T’Pau frontwoman appeared as Tattoo on the 2025 series of The Masked Singer, and in the same year she revealed she had undergone life-saving colon cancer surgery — this is the story of her second act: still performing, now advocating.

Born: 10 September 1957 · Band: T’Pau · Biggest hit: China in Your Hand (1987) · UK number ones: 1 · Recent TV appearance: Masked Singer (2025)

Eight facts, one pattern: Decker’s life is defined by music, family, and survival.

What does Carol Decker do now?

Current music projects

• Decker continues to perform with T’Pau and as a solo artist, including summer festivals across the UK and abroad (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))
• She released her autobiography Heart and Soul in 2022 (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))

Public appearances and events

• In 2025 she was a contestant on the sixth series of ITV’s The Masked Singer, performing as Tattoo (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• She is available for corporate and event bookings through H Talent Management (H Talent Management (entertainment agency))

Charity and advocacy work

• Decker is an ambassador for the Oxford Colon Cancer Trust, sharing her patient story to promote early bowel cancer detection (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))

The pattern: Decker has turned a health scare into a platform, still active in music and now in public health advocacy.

What illness did Carol Decker have?

Colon cancer diagnosis

• In December 2022, while touring in Germany, Decker developed chronic diarrhoea. Symptoms persisted after returning home to Oxfordshire (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))
• Her husband, Dr. Thomas Dean, urged her to see a GP. A stool sample revealed microscopic blood, and she was placed on a two-week cancer pathway (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))

Symptoms and treatment

• A colonoscopy at a hospital near Henley-on-Thames found a very large polyp at an unusual angle that required surgery (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))
• The polyp was removed in August 2023 in a procedure lasting nearly four hours (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))
• Decker admitted she initially dismissed the symptoms as “nothing”, a common pitfall the charity warns against (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))

Recovery and advocacy

• After a follow-up sigmoidoscopy, Decker was told she did not need another check for 12 months (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))
• She described herself as “fighting fit” and “feeling really well” (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))

Why this matters: Decker’s willingness to go public gives a face to a disease that affects about 1 in 15 men and 1 in 18 women in the UK, according to NHS (UK health service).

How many hits did Carol Decker have?

T’Pau’s chart success

• Between 1987 and 1991, T’Pau achieved nine UK Top 40 singles (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• Their debut album Bridge of Spies (1987) sold over 1.2 million copies in the UK and went quadruple platinum (IMDb (film and TV database))

Biggest singles and albums

• “China in Your Hand” reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1987 and held the top spot for five weeks (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• Other hits include “Heart and Soul” (UK #4) and “Bridge of Spies” (UK #6) (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))

Legacy in 1980s pop

• T’Pau is frequently cited among the defining female-fronted pop-rock acts of the late 80s, alongside bands like The Bangles and Heart (BBC Music (UK public broadcaster))

The catch: While T’Pau’s chart run was brief, “China in Your Hand” remains one of the decade’s biggest-selling singles in the UK, and Decker’s voice still draws festival crowds.

Who is Carol Decker’s husband?

Marriage to Dr. Thomas Dean

• Carol Decker married Dr. Thomas Dean in 1991 (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• Thomas Dean is a medical doctor, and he was the one who insisted Decker see a GP about her symptoms, leading to the cancer diagnosis (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))

Family life

• The couple have two children, Scarlett and Dylan, and live with their dog Finn in Oxfordshire (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))

Privacy and public appearances

• Dr. Dean rarely appears in the media; Decker shares occasional glimpses of their home life on social media (Instagram (social media platform))

The trade-off: A private marriage that became publicly pivotal when a doctor-husband’s nagging saved his wife’s life.

Where does Carol Decker live now?

Current residence in Oxfordshire

• Decker has lived in Oxfordshire since her marriage, near the Thames in a village she describes as quiet and leafy (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))

Connection to the local community

• She has performed locally and used her platform to raise awareness for health issues in the area (Oxford Mail (regional newspaper))

Lifestyle and home life

• Her home life with husband, children, and dog provides a grounding contrast to the touring lifestyle (Daily Mail (British tabloid))

What this means: Oxfordshire is not just an address but a foundation for a life rebalanced after fame and illness.

Timeline signal

• 10 September 1957: Born in Huyton, Lancashire (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• 1987: T’Pau releases “China in Your Hand”, reaches #1 in UK (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• 1991: Marries Dr. Thomas Dean; T’Pau goes on hiatus (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• 1990s–2000s: Solo projects and occasional T’Pau reunions (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• December 2022: First cancer symptoms during German tour (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))
• August 2023: Polyp removed in surgery lasting nearly four hours (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))
• 2025: Appears on ITV’s The Masked Singer as Tattoo (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))

Confirmed facts

• Carol Decker is the lead vocalist of T’Pau; born 10 September 1957; married Dr. Thomas Dean in 1991; appeared on The Masked Singer in 2025 (Wikipedia (collaborative encyclopedia))
• She has two children; diagnosed with colon cancer and shared her story with Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity))

What’s unclear

• Exact net worth: estimates vary from $1M to $5M (unverified sources)
• Specific current residence within Oxfordshire (town not publicly disclosed)
• Whether she is currently recording new solo material

“I was back gigging full time with summer festivals planned around the UK and abroad.”

— Carol Decker, speaking to the Oxford Colon Cancer Trust (colorectal cancer charity)

“I was so lucky. It could have been so much worse.”

— Carol Decker, quoted by the Oxford Mail (regional newspaper)

“She is a powerful advocate for bowel cancer awareness, using her own experience to encourage others not to ignore symptoms.”

— Oxford Colon Cancer Trust, patient story page

For anyone in the UK over 50 who has noticed a change in bowel habits, the implication is clear: see your GP promptly, just as a doctor-husband insisted for his pop-star wife. Ignoring symptoms cost nearly four hours of surgery; acting early meant a clean bill of health 12 months later.

For more on her personal life, including Carol Deckers age and net worth, readers can explore a detailed biography that covers her family and financial background.

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