Radio star Jamie Theakston has shared an update on his health after he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer last year.
Jamie was diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer back in September 2024 after listeners noticed a difference in his voice. The radio presenter, 54, underwent three operations following his diagnosis and was away from his hosting gig longer than he hoped – eventually returning four months after being diagnosed.
Now, the star has issued an update after revealing he is cancer-free last month. Jamie, who was thrown off his bike on his first day back at work, has explained the odds of his cancer returning are “very low” but he still sees a surgeon every month.
Over a year, the intervals between his appointments with the surgeon will increase to three months then six months, he explained in an interview with The Times. He also revealed cancer has made him “more optimistic” as he said: “It has certainly made me stronger. I felt a lot wiser, because I finally understood what mattered in life.”
Jamie was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, which is an extremely rare form of cancer, after listeners noticed a change in his voice. He said: “You do the show for 20 years, and you get a sore throat and it comes and goes.
“But there were a couple of listeners who said, ‘You really need to get it checked.’ And I guess in many ways that sort of saved my life. Without being too dramatic about it.”
After being diagnosed, his first operation was done privately at the Princess Grace Hospital in Central London. The surgery to remove to lesion on his vocal chord was successful – however doctors couldn’t be 100% sure all the cancer cells had been removed. Jamie then underwent a second surgery to have more tissue removed.
The radio star suffered a setback when, during the healing process, it was found that some scar tissue was touching the other vocal chord. He then went under the knife for a third time to remove the scar tissue.