Veteran UK chatshow host Sir Michael Parkinson has revealed he has prostate cancer.
“I have cancer – and I must admit it is a bore. I am 78. Of course mortality is on the mind. But I’m not afraid,” he told the Sun on Sunday newspaper in his typical bluff style.
Parkinson said the cancer was diagnosed in May during a routine check-up and that he has started radiotherapy.
Describing the treatment as painless but “boring”, he said more men to get themselves tested for the disease. “If prostate cancer is identifiable early, it is treatable and curable.”
He urged them to do a simple urinal test. Men who could not hit the wall from 2ft (60cm) while urinating should get themselves checked by a doctor, he said.
Parkinson, who divides his time between Britain and Sydney, thanked his wife Mary for her support.
The broadcaster is best known for his show Parkinson, which ran from 1971 to 1982 and 1998 to 2007.
He has interviewed countless celebrities, from Fred Astaire and Muhammad Ali to Sir Paul McCartney and George Michael, but his awkward encounter with actress Meg Ryan in 2003 is perhaps his most famous moment.
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