BILL'S BIG C BATTLE
Bill Turnbull, ex-BBC Breakfast host, reveals he has incurable prostate cancer
Bill bravely says he won't let the cancer define him and now urges other men to get checked
BREAKFAST TV favourite Bill Turnbull has revealed he is suffering from incurable cancer.
The ex-host says he was “shellshocked” to receive the news which he then had to share with his family.
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Doctors told Bill he had prostate cancer that had had already spread to his ribs, hips, pelvis and leg.
Bill had visited his GP after a change in his “pee pattern” and a year of dull pain. But he now wishes he had acted quicker.
The 62-year-old tells the Radio Times: “I’m cross with myself. Maybe if I’d got it earlier and stopped it at the prostate, I’d be in a much better state.”
He also reveals his heartbreak at breaking the news to wife Sarah and his three children Henry, 29, Will, 28, and Flora, 26.
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Bill admits: “Those first few days were probably the worst of my life. It’s hard to know what to say, when you want to protect them. That first moment is a shell shock.”
Bill, who hosts Songs Of Praise, is being treated by the Royal Marsden hospital in London.
Despite doctors telling him the average life expectancy for those with bone cancer is just ten years, he is not gloomy.
He adds: “You have to be positive, don’t you? I know I’m not going to get cured and I’m realistic about the long-term prospects, but they’re not bad.
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What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Symptoms include:
- Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
- Needing to rush to the toilet
- Difficulty in starting to pee
- Weak flow
- Straining and taking a long time while peeing
- Feeling that your bladder hasn't emptied fully
"The only thing is, I don’t want the rest of my life to be defined by the illness.
He adds: “I would like to see at least one grandchild and there’s still lots of time for that to happen.”
Ironically, he was told the news as he finished his episode of The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer on Channel 4, starting tonight.
Show bosses will now add a short filmed update about his condition to the appeal programme.
Bill adds: “When I was making my cupcakes, I had the disease and didn’t know it.”
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Bill says he is speaking about his condition to try and convince other men to get checked for prostate cancer. But he says he is still coming to terms with it.
He adds: “You go to bed at night and wake up in the morning it comes to you again. I’ve still got cancer. It wasn’t a bad dream.
“And that takes a lot of dealing with.
“I need to plan to make sure my life is spent well. To make sure all the days count.”
Susanna Reid is re-united again with her co-presenter Bill Turnbull