Jamie Theakston visited a doctor after fans on his radio show expressed concerns about his changing voice, just weeks before he was diagnosed with throat cancer.
The 53-year-old Heart FM star announced on Tuesday that he has cancer after saying viewers first noticed something was wrong with his voice.
In an Instagram post on September 1, Jamie shared He had himself checked out after some listeners noticed something was wrong with his voice.
He added that doctors had found a “lesion on his vocal cords,” which they had removed, but just two weeks later he was told he had stage one laryngeal cancer.
Jamie – who is married to Sophie Siegle – wrote on Instagram at the time: ‘So…
Jamie Theakston visited a doctor after fans raised concerns about his voice, weeks before he was diagnosed with throat cancer (pictured in a Heart DM clip with Zoe Hardman)
The Heart FM star announced his diagnosis on Tuesday, after sharing that viewers first noticed something wasn’t quite right with his voice over the summer
In a September 1 Instagram post, Jamie shared that he had himself checked out after some of his listeners noticed something wasn’t quite right with his voice
‘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.
Previous posts on Heart FM’s Instagram account showed fans expressing concern over Jamie’s voice, with one comment under a clip from August 22 reading: ‘Jamie, you need to do something about your throat.’
Jamie also appeared in a clip posted on August 23, announcing the winners of a £30,000 giveaway.
Jamie has been absent from Heart FM since his post on September 1. On Tuesday he revealed that doctors have told him after a biopsy that he has stage 1 throat cancer.
He said, “Hi everyone, as you know, I recently had surgery to remove a defect in my vocal cords.
‘The biopsy identified this as stage 1 laryngeal cancer. So I have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me! The prognosis is very positive and I hope to be back with you 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 huge thank you to them and the entire Global family who have been incredibly supportive. Be grateful for this day and when I see you next time I have a great story to tell.”
Previous posts on Heart FM’s Instagram showed fans expressing concern over Jamie’s voice, with one comment under a clip reading: ‘Jamie you need to get your sore throat sorted’
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.
Shortly after Jamie’s news, his Heart Breakfast co-host Amanda Holden wrote: ‘Our wonderful @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 .’
Since his post, Jamie has been absent from his role as a presenter on Heart FM, and on Tuesday he revealed that doctors have told him after a biopsy that he has stage one throat cancer
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.
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.