Bill Turnbull has announced his decision to step down from Classic FM hosting for health reasons.
The former BBC Breakfast host has been living with prostate cancer since 2018 and said on Twitter his health “has been a bit bumpy recently”.
He told his 106,000 Twitter followers: “With great regret I am taking a leave of absence from my show Classic FM, for health reasons. The road has been a bit bumpy recently, and I need to take some time to focus on getting better.”
The 65-year-old added: “I’m sorry to do this, as I absolutely love doing the programme, and have hugely enjoyed the past five years. I am very grateful to friends and colleagues at Global for the love and support they have shown me. And I will be back, just as soon as I can be.”
(Image: Classic FM)
A Classic FM spokesperson said: “Bill is a hugely valued and loved member of the Classic FM and Global family. We wish him all the very best as he takes time away from his programmes to concentrate on getting better. Along with our listeners, we look forward to welcoming back him on air as soon as he can be.”
Fans, friends and colleagues quickly rallied behind him, with Sian Williams saying: “Much love, rest up, take care.”
His Classic FM colleague Dave Rose said: “All the very best to a brilliant broadcaster and a wonderful man! We’ll all miss you at Classic FM, and once you’re past this little bump in the road, we can’t wait to have you back on air where you belong.”
(Image: Pete Dadds/ Channel 4)
Bill has been very open with his health issues since his 2018 prostate cancer diagnosis.
His cancer spread to his bones but he said in late 2019 that he still had a “fair old time to live”.
Father-of-three Bill didn’t slow down in his broadcast career and recently reunited with his former BBC Breakfast co-star Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain, filling the vacant seat that Piers Morgan left when he quit.
Bill has continued to work while going through rounds of chemotherapy and treatment with radioactive substance Radium 223.
(Image: ITV)
In May last year, he spoke about death and the afterlife and said he was “very, very calm” about the prospect of it.
He said on a podcast: “I have thought a great deal about death since I was diagnosed with cancer because he is there, y’know the fella with the hood over his head and the scythe. He is waiting and that is fine.
“I have developed quite a healthy relationship with death. I feel very, very calm about it because I have given it a lot of thought.
“So there is no way I am going to imagine I can live forever, nor would I really want to.”
He added: “And in the circumstance I am giving serious consideration to what sort of music I would want played at my funeral, whether I want to be buried or cremated, the funeral plan, all that sort of thing.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
