Bill Turnbull reveals he has prostate cancer: 'My life, as I knew it, is in the past tense'
Bill Turnbull, the broadcaster, has urged men to get checked for prostate cancer, as he discloses he has been diagnosed with the disease after suffering aches and pains he put down to simple “old age”.
Turnbull, the 62-year-old former BBC Breakfast host, said he will not be cured of the cancer, which has spread to his bone in the legs, hips, pelvis and ribs.
Saying he “can’t plan beyond 12 years”, he has described the “deep shock” he experienced after learning of his diagnoses, and “probably the worst days of my life” to follow.
He now hopes to raise awareness about the illness, saying of speaking out: “If one man gets tested who might not otherwise have gone to their doctor, it’s worthwhile.”
Turnbull, who has three grown-up children, is interviewed about his illness in this week’s Radio Times by Sian Williams, his BBC Breakfast sofa co-host who had a double mastectomy for breast cancer.
Williams, who learned of Turnbull’s diagnosis through a text message when she got in touch after hearing he was “under the weather”, said her friend had prided himself on not visiting his GP in four years, having had prostate tests at 40 and 50 and no cancer in his family.
"Well, it’s stupid, really. I’m cross with myself,” said Turnbull, who now hosts a show on Classic FM. “Maybe if I’d got it earlier and stopped it at the prostate, I’d be in a much better state.”
The broadcaster had experience aches and pains for a year or so, and noticed a change in his “pee pattern” had changed, but had put it down to just “old age”, Williams writes.
As the pain increased, he was sent for a blood test which revealed prostate cancer which had spread to the bone. Turnbull said he had visited a consultant, hopeful of a better conclusion, but was told the average survival rate was ten years.
Of telling his family, including wife Sesi and three children Henry, 29, Will, 28 and Flora, 26, he said: “Those first few days were probably the worst days of my life.
“That first moment is a real shell shock. You can’t remember the precise words, you just remember the hammer blow.”
He added: “The worst thing is, you carry it through the day and then you go to bed at night and wake up in the morning and it comes to you again. I have got cancer. I’ve still got cancer. It wasn’t a bad dream. And that takes a lot of dealing with.”
Turnbull, who insisted life was currently “very liveable” and that he was remaining positive, said: “ I know I’m not going to get cured and I’m realistic about the long-term prospects, but they’re not bad. Most importantly, I really do think I’ve had a wonderful life, with amazing experiences as a reporter and a presenter.
“And if it was all to end tomorrow, I couldn’t have any complaints. I’ve had a really marvellous time.”
The average life expectancy for his form of cancer in ten years, he explained, or 14 with chemotherapy, with his consultant hoping to give him 18.
He has had chemotherapy, hormone injections and a “cocktail of drugs”.
“My life, as I knew it, is in the past tense,” he said. “You have BC, Before Cancer, when you had a normal life, and then there’s After Cancer, when things are very different.”
“The only thing is, I don’t want the rest of my life to be defined by the illness,” he said, saying he is not frightened by the future.
“It saddens me that I’m not going to be around as much as I thought with my wife and family,” he told the Radio Times.
“It’s a shame. “I do need to plan to make sure my life is spent well. To make sure all the days count.”
Turnbull was diagnosed after he had filmed an episode of The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer, which will air with a short filmed update about his own illness.
Angela Culhane, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: “As Bill says, early diagnosis of prostate cancer can be life-saving – and if caught early can often be treated successfully, which is why awareness like this is so important.
"Some men face a higher than average risk so we recommend that men over 50 – and men over 45 if they are black or have a family history of the disease – discuss the pros and cons of the PSA test with their GP so that they can decide if its right for them."
The Great Celebrity Bake Off For Stand Up To Cancer airs on Tuesday at 8pm. The full interview is published in this week’s Radio Times.
