Jamie Theakston says he is cancer free as he returns to Heart Breakfast
The radio host is set to return to his Heart Breakfast show from Monday.
TV and radio presenter Jamie Theakston has said he is “cancer free” months on from his stage one laryngeal cancer diagnosis.
The 54-year-old, who announced his condition in September, has been off-air since last year, and is set to return to his Heart Breakfast radio show from Monday.
Theakston told the show on Friday: “Today is the four-month anniversary of my cancer diagnosis.
“So it’s been four months, and I’ve had enough of hospitals and operations, and it’s just lovely to be back, and I’ve got some news for you. Because I can tell you that as of today, I’m cancer free.”
“And when I was told, ‘Oh, it’s probably cancer’, just, literally, I just didn’t even know what to say. I mean, it just blew my mind,” he added.
“So, the first surgery wasn’t as successful as we hoped. Had a second surgery, and then a third surgery, and each time, I was doing more and more damage to my vocal cords.
“So, in actual fact, by the third one, they said, ‘Well, look, you’ve got a one in six chance you might not be able to talk again’. And so, then you kind of think, ‘Oh, OK, that’s like rolling a dice’, yeah, I’ll take that.”
According to the NHS, laryngeal cancer affects the larynx and symptoms include pain when swallowing, a lump or swelling in the neck and a persistent sore throat.
Theakston also said that it has been “tough, because, again, you know cancer, a whole family suffers”.
“So, I wanted to thank everyone who sent me messages. Every single person I’ve ever met or known has been in touch. People I’ve forgotten all about have been in touch. So that has just been amazing.”
Theakston also thanked DJ Jason King for standing in for him on the show, saying “you’ve done such an amazing job”.
“You came in at the last minute, and I know what an upheaval it is,” he added.
“You’ve got a young family, and literally, were told, ‘Oh, you’ve got to come in tomorrow’, and then from then on, you didn’t know how long you were going to do it for. So, you know, one month, then two months, and then it was three months. And you’ve done such a fantastic job.”
Theakston has presented music show The O-Zone, children’s show Live & Kicking alongside Zoe Ball and Top Of The Pops on the BBC.
Heart Breakfast With Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden airs weekdays from 6.30am to 10am across the UK and on Global Player.
