Heart Radio presenter Jamie Theakston has given an update on his health after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer last year and undergoing three operations
Radio presenter Jamie Theakston has given an update on his health after being diagnosed with a rare type of cancer last year.
The 54-year-old was diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer in September 2024 after listeners noticed a change in his voice. Following his diagnosis, Jamie underwent three operations and took a longer-than-expected break from his hosting gig, returning four months later. Now, after revealing he’s cancer-free, Jamie has shared an update, stating that the chances of his cancer returning are “very low”.
However, he still sees a surgeon every month, with the intervals between appointments set to increase to three months and then six months over the next year. In an interview with The Times, Jamie revealed that his cancer diagnosis has made him “more optimistic”, saying: “It has certainly made me stronger. I felt a lot wiser, because I finally understood what mattered in life.”
Jamie’s cancer diagnosis came after listeners noticed a change in his voice, prompting him to get it checked.
He explained: “You do the show for 20 years, and you get a sore throat and it comes and goes.”, reports the Mirror.
“But there were a couple of listeners who said, ‘You really need to get it checked.’ And I guess in many ways that sort of saved my life. Without being too dramatic about it.”
After being diagnosed, he had his first surgery at the posh Princess Grace Hospital in Central London. The op to remove the lesion off his vocal chord was a success – but doctors weren’t totally sure they’d removed all the cancer.
Jamie then braved a second surgery to get even more tissue removed. The radio legend hit a snag when it turned out some scar tissue was obstructing his other vocal cord.
So, it was back to the operating table for round three to sort out the scar tissue. This third op was a must-do, as Jamie said that if it hadn’t been for that, he could’ve kissed his broadcasting days goodbye.
He said: “By this stage we were into a situation where so much of the vocal cord had been removed that there was a real chance I wouldn’t get my voice back at all. But luckily the third surgery went well and we were quite confident that that was it and that was done.”
On air, he shared with his fans: “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.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
