Jamie Theakston 'cancer free' as he returns to radio show

TV and radio presenter Jamie Theakston has announced he is "cancer free" and will be returning to work on Monday.

The 54-year-old revealed his diagnosis with stage one laryngeal cancer in September, after listeners noticed a change in his voice.

"Today is the four-month anniversary of my cancer diagnosis," Theakston said after appearing on Heart Radio's Breakfast show on Friday. "I've got some news for you. Because I can tell you that as of today, I'm cancer free."

The radio host has undergone three surgeries and told co-hosts Amanda Holden and Jason King he had been warned during treatment there was a one-in-six chance he might never talk again.

Theakston said his diagnosis was an "enormous shock" after initially thinking it was just a "sore throat".

"And when I was told, 'Oh, it's probably cancer', just, literally, I just didn't even know what to say. I mean, it just blew my mind," he said.

The presenter previously shared that his cancer was identified by a biopsy and the prognosis was "very positive".

Speaking on Friday's show, he said: "So, the first surgery wasn't as successful as we hoped. Had a second surgery, and then a third surgery, and each time, I was doing more and more damage to my vocal cords.

"So, in actual fact, by the third one, they said, 'Well, look, you've got a one-in-six chance you might not be able to talk again'. And so, then you kind of think, 'Oh, OK, that's like rolling a dice', yeah, I'll take that."

Laryngeal cancer is a type of cancer affecting the larynx (voice box).

The larynx is part of the throat found at the entrance of the windpipe (trachea), and plays an important role in helping you breathe and speak.

Symptoms of laryngeal cancer include - but are not limited to - difficulty swallowing and breathlessness. It can also include a change in your voice such as sounding hoarse and a persistent sore throat.

Theakston said his experience had been "tough, because, again, you know cancer, a whole family suffers".

"Everyone has been so supportive. It's been unbelievable and it's just blown me away," he said.

"So, I wanted to thank everyone who sent me messages. Every single person I've ever met or known has been in touch. People I've forgotten all about have been in touch. So that has just been amazing."

He also thanked Jason King for standing in for him on the radio show, saying he had done "an amazing job".

Theakston rose to fame as a TV presenter in the 1990s on BBC shows such as The Ozone, children's Saturday show Live & Kicking, which he presented alongside Zoe Ball, and Top of the Pops.

He began co-hosting Heart Radio's flagship breakfast show in 2005 and currently hosts Heart Breakfast with Amanda Holden on weekdays.

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