Paul Burrell, 65, reveals he’s been given the ‘all clear’ following his cancer battle and tells how The Crown ‘is going to upset a lot of people’ for its ‘misinterpretation’ of Princess Diana

By William On Nov 16, 2023

Paul Burrell proudly admitted he has been given the ‘all clear’ by doctors after his long battle with prostate cancer, as he spoke to Lorraine on Thursday.

The former royal butler, 65, also shed light on the new series of The Crown, which was released earlier today, telling how ‘it’s going to upset a lot of people’.

During his appearance on the ITV morning show, Paul, who was close and confidante to Diana, Princess of Wales for ten years until her death in 1997, shared his incredible health update.

He said, ‘Well, I’m happy to tell you that I saw my consultant last week and she told me everything clearly.

‘My number dropped from 10 to about 0.06 so it’s good news and I’m continuing with the hormone therapy, which is a bit tricky because I’ve put on a bit of weight, I’m getting more emotional than normal and hot sweats.’

Incredible: Paul Burrell has proudly admitted he has been given the ‘all clear’ by doctors after his long battle with prostate cancer, as he spoke to Lorraine on Thursday

Opening: The former royal butler also shed light on the new series of The Crown, which was released earlier today, talking about how ‘it’s going to upset a lot of people’ (pictured with Princess Diana in 1997)

He joked to Lorraine: ‘I can sympathize now!’

Lorraine laughed: ‘For most of us women of a certain age, you know exactly what it’s like, but it’s great that you’re doing so well and that you’ve also raised awareness, so that’s the most important thing too.’

In April, Paul proudly rang the bell after revealing he had completed radiotherapy treatment for his cancer.

Paul was diagnosed with the disease last summer.

Paul admitted I’m A Celebrity All Stars ‘literally saved my life’ thanks to health tests before he left to film the show in South Africa, which later revealed he had cancer.

Along with eight other celebrities, Paul was in the Kruger National Park in north-east South Africa, one of Africa’s largest game reserves, to film for the first ever I’m A Celebrity series featuring previous stars from the jungle.

But after returning home to Britain, Paul was given heartbreaking news following a number of health checks carried out before his trip.

Elsewhere in the interview with Lorraine, Paul joined royal correspondent Russell Myers to discuss the controversy surrounding the new series of The Crown.

Emotional: Appearing on the ITV morning show, Paul said: ‘Well I’m pleased to tell you I saw my consultant last week and she gave me the all clear’

Incredibly, in April, Paul proudly rang the doorbell after revealing he had completed radiotherapy treatment for his cancer

Support: Paul previously admitted I’m A Celebrity All Stars ‘literally saved my life’ thanks to health tests before he left to film the show in South Africa, which later revealed he had cancer

Discussion: Elsewhere in the interview with Lorraine, Paul joined royal correspondent Russell Myers to discuss the controversy surrounding the new series of The Crown (photo Lorraine)

Confidante: Paul worked alongside and was a confidante of Diana, Princess of Wales, for ten years until her death in 1997 (Diana pictured in 1997)

The Crown controversy: He said: ‘I can’t watch that, it’s too graphic and too much. It will upset William and Harry and upset many people who watch it. It’s very emotional, isn’t it?

When a preview of a clip from the build-up to Diana’s crash in The Crown appeared on screen, Paul had to look away as he finds it ‘too hard’ to watch.

He said: ‘I can’t watch that, it’s too graphic and too much. It will upset William and Harry and upset many people who watch it. It’s very emotional, isn’t it.

He added: “I find this series very difficult, I don’t know if I can watch it. I found it easier to watch it in the beginning, the first series of The Crown, because it’s far enough away, isn’t it, in history to not be emotionally involved.

“But this series, I’m emotionally invested in it and I’m going to be critical of it because it’s a dramatization of it. It’s Hollywood, it’s not real life.

“Personally, I think the Princess has been misrepresented and misinterpreted her entire life, and here we go again with The Crown, it’s not the real Diana.

“The real Diana I knew was a fighter, she wasn’t shy and withdrawn, she fought for what she believed in and she fought for her boys.”

WHAT IS PROSTATE CANCER?

How many people does it kill?

More than 11,800 men in Britain – or one every 45 minutes – die from the disease every year, compared to around 11,400 women who die from breast cancer.

It means prostate cancer is behind only the lungs and bowels in the number of people it kills in Britain.

In the US, the disease kills 26,000 men every year.

Despite this, it receives less than half of breast cancer research funding and treatments for the disease are at least a decade behind schedule.

How many men are diagnosed annually?

More than 52,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK every year – more than 140 every day.

How quickly does it develop?

Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs that someone has it for years NHS.

If the cancer is in its early stages and is not causing symptoms, a policy of ‘watchful waiting’ or ‘active surveillance’ may be implemented.

Some patients can be cured if the disease is treated at an early stage.

But if the diagnosis is made at a later stage, when the disease has spread, the disease becomes terminal and treatment revolves around relieving the symptoms.

Thousands of men are deterred from seeking a diagnosis because of the treatment’s known side effects, including erectile dysfunction.

Testing and treatment

Tests for prostate cancer are haphazard, and accurate tools are only just beginning to appear.

There is no national prostate screening program because the tests have been too inaccurate for years.

Doctors have difficulty distinguishing between aggressive and less serious tumors, making it difficult to decide on treatment.

Men over 50 are eligible for a ‘PSA’ blood test, which gives doctors a rough idea of a patient’s risk.

But it is unreliable. Patients who receive a positive result usually receive a biopsy, which is also not foolproof.

Scientists aren’t sure what causes prostate cancer, but age, obesity and lack of exercise are known risks.

Anyone with concerns can speak to the specialist nurses at Prostate Cancer UK on 0800 074 8383 or visit prostatecancer.org