Jamie Theakston reveals he has throat cancer: Presenter, 53, takes a break from Heart Radio job as he thanks radio listeners who heard ‘change in his voice’ before diagnosis
Jamie Theakston has revealed he has stage 1 laryngeal cancer.
The 53-year-old Heart Radio presenter shared his health update with fans on Instagram on Tuesday, after previously revealing he had booked a doctor’s appointment after listeners noticed something was off with his voice.
Laryngeal cancer is a form of cancer that affects the larynx (voice box).
Jamie said: ‘Hi everyone, as you know, I recently had surgery to remove an abnormality on my vocal cords.
‘The biopsy identified this as stage 1 laryngeal cancer. So I have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me!
Jamie Theakston announced on Tuesday that he has cancer as presenter, 53, takes a break from his job at Heart Radio as co-star Amanda Holden gave a health update
Jamie shared this post on social media on Tuesday
‘The prognosis is very positive and I hope to be with you again in October.
‘Until then, I’ve been told to give my voice a rest and entrust you to the very capable hands of JK and Amanda.
‘A big thank you to them and the entire Global family for their incredible support.
“Be thankful for this day, and when I see you next time, I’ll have a beautiful story to tell.”
On September 1, Jamie announced that he had himself checked out after some listeners noticed something was off with his voice.
According to the NHS, symptoms of larynx cancer include a change in your voice, such as hoarseness, pain when swallowing, a lump or swelling in your neck, a long-term cough or shortness of breath, persistent sore throat or earache and, in the most severe cases, difficulty breathing.
In the UK, there are over 2,000 new cases of laryngeal cancer each year. The condition is more common in people over 60 and more common in men than women.
On September 1, he shared this message thanking listeners for noticing something wrong with his voice, which he quickly had checked out
A host of celebrities jumped into the comments to wish Jamie their best
Jamie pictured with his wife Sophie Siegle in 2017
The couple welcomed their first child Sidney in April 2008, before their second son, Kit, was born in September 2009.
Jamie – who is married to Sophie Siegle – wrote on Instagram: ‘So…
‘Had it checked out. Doctors found a lesion on my vocal cords which I had removed this weekend – thanks for all the kind messages – I should be back on my feet soon – in the meantime…’ and concluded the post with a zipped up mouth emoji.
Shortly after the news about Jamie, Amanda wrote: ‘Our amazing @jamie.theakston has been diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer.
“His prognosis is very good and he has a great team around him Jamie. We love you and miss you and look forward to seeing you again very soon.
‘With @sophietheakstonjewellery, your beautiful boys, us and the entire nation by your side… THIS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU .’
Weeks before Jamie was diagnosed with cancer, Davina McCall questioned whether she had caused Jamie’s throat injury. McCall claimed her overly friendly hug had bruised his windpipe.
In June, when Davina (56) was replacing Amanda Holden, Jamie joked that her enthusiastic hug had bruised his windpipe, which has now been removed.
Amanda told Davina: ‘You gave Jamie a huge hug that nearly strangled him. As a result, Jamie started to lose his voice when I got back and it got progressively worse.’
A concerned Davina asked: ‘Did I do it?’
Amanda explains: ‘He went to the doctor and he said, ‘This isn’t right, we’re going to look at your throat.’ And because of you, he went to the doctor in the first place.’
‘They also found a wound in his throat. He has since had it removed and everything is fine now.’
Jamie first rose to fame in the mid-1990s when he co-presented the children’s programme Live & Kicking with Zoe Ball from 1996. In 1999 he went on to present the popular music programme Top of the Pops.
After becoming a household name, the star continued her TV career with major presenting jobs at the BBC, including the music quiz A Question Of Pop and coverage of Glastonbury and The Millennium.
Jamie first rose to fame in the mid-90s, rising to fame for presenting children’s programme Live & Kicking alongside Zoe Ball (pictured) from 1996, before presenting popular music show Top of the Pops in 1999
Jamie previously presented on Heart FM with Spice Girl singer Emma Bunton
Nowadays Jamie is also known for his impressive radio career, with the star currently co-presenting the national breakfast show Heart FM with Amanda
He soon moved to Channel 4, where he co-presented The Priory, a mix of celebrity chat, gossip and games, with Zoe for three successful series.
Jamie’s other TV series include The Games, The People’s Quiz, Beg Borrow or Steal and With A Little Help From My Friends.
Nowadays Jamie is also known for his impressive radio career, the star currently presents his national breakfast show on Heart FM, alongside Amanda.
His radio career began with Radio 5 Live, before moving to BBC Radio 1 in 1999 to present the Sunday Lunch Show.
He won a BAFTA award for Live & Kicking and numerous awards for his radio work.
Jamie married his wife Sophie in Ditchling on 15 September 2007. The couple live in Chiswick, West London, with their two children.
The couple met at the Oscars in 2006, and the radio star proposed a year later.
The couple welcomed their first child Sidney in April 2008 and in September 2009 their second son, Kit, was born.