BBC’s Nick Owen has revealed he has been secretly battling prostate cancer.
The former TV-AM presenter, 75, recounted the ‘grim’ diagnosis’ that he received, calling it the ‘worst day of his life’.
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Nick Owen is one of Britain’s most beloved presenters, having graced TV screens for 40 yearsCredit: Action Images – Reuters
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He has revealed his devastating news to the viewers on BBC Midlands TodayCredit: BBC
Nick shared the devastating diagnosis on BBC News programme Midlands Today, where he has been a mainstay for more than 25 years.
“I went to a specialist, he wasn’t too worried because my figures weren’t that high,” he explained.
“But he decided I ought to have a scan and then the scan said there was something dodgy going on, and then he sent me for a biopsy which he did.”
Nick revealed how the news of the prostate cancer has impacted him personally as he revealed: “And the results of that were the killer, on April the 13th, a date which will forever be imprinted on my mind.
“He told us that it was extensive really and aggressive, and I had prostate cancer full-on, and something needed to be done pretty fast.
“And that was probably the worst day of my life, or certainly one of them.”
However, the TV personality did admit that his friends and family have been amazing as people around him reached out.
He also paid particular tribute to his wife, reflexologist Vicki Beevers whom he married in July 2020 in a ceremony in Staffordshire.
“It was a very grim moment, driving home after that sort of news and ringing people, texting people, my phone went crazy for hours on end.
“And it was a very, very difficult time for me, and indeed for my wife Vicki who was by my side all the time through this, you know. It was grim.”
Nick made the decision to have a radical prostatectomy, which involves removing the whole prostate gland.
A BBC spokesperson said: “Nick has been one of the faces of Midlands Today for more than 25 years.
“Our viewers and his colleagues have missed him dearly in recent weeks.
“We can’t wait to welcome him back to the studio as soon as he’s ready. We all wish him a speedy recovery.”
He plans to return to hosting Midlands Today in the autumn, but admits it has been a “bumpy ride” to recovery.
Nick first rose to fame in the eighties when he became a sports reporter on the UK’s first commercial breakfast show on ITV.
He was promoted officially to head anchor of TV-AM’s Good Morning Britain in 1983 after the departure of Angela Rippon and Anna Ford.
The television personality presented the show until 1966 when he departed the station to become a regular presenter for ITV Sport.
This comes just months after his friend and former co-star Anne Diamond spoke of the moment she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The former Loose Women star, 68, had been battling the illness for nearly six months before she revealed her news in June and had a double mastectomy.
Speaking about her diagnosis for the first time on one of the UK News channels, Anne told how she was diagnosed on the day she found out she was going to be made an OBE.
What is prostate cancer and what are the signs you need to know?
One in eight Brit blokes will get prostate cancer in their lifetime.
Many will live long lives and not experience too many nasty symptoms.
But in others, their cancer will spread, which is when the disease can turn deadly.
Prostate cancer currently kills 10,900 men-a-year, but Prostate Cancer UK warn that this number could surge to 15,000-a-year by 2026.
What are the symptoms?
In most cases, prostate cancer doesn’t have any symptoms until the growth is big enough to put pressure on the urethra – that tube you pee through.
- 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
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He called the moment he received the diagnosis the ‘worst day of his life’Credit: PA:Empics Sport
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The BBC has paid tribute to the star who has presented on the regional programme for more than 25 yearsCredit: BBC
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He first rose to fame in the eighties when he was the main face of TV-AM’s Good Morning Britain alongside Anne DiamondCredit: Reuters
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The news comes just months after his former co-star revealed the news of her secret cancer battleCredit: PA:Press Association
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