TV presenter Nick Owen has revealed that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The broadcaster spoke on Monday about the impact of the condition on his life following his recent absence from BBC One news programme Midlands Today.
The 75-year-old told Midlands Today: “I went to a specialist, he wasn’t too worried because my figures weren’t that high.
“But he decided I ought to have a scan, and then the scan said there’s something dodgy going on, and then he sent me for a biopsy, which he did.
“And the results of that were the killer – on April the 13th, a date (which) will forever be imprinted on my mind.
“He told us that it was extensive, really, and aggressive, and I had prostate cancer full-on, and something needed to be done pretty fast.
“And that was probably the worst day of my life, or certainly one of them.
“It was a very grim moment… driving home after that sort of news and ringing people, texting people, my phone went crazy for hours on end.
“And it was a very, very difficult time for me, and indeed for my wife Vicki, who was by my side all the time through this, you know.
“It was grim.”
Owen also revealed that he has undergone surgery and plans to go back to work in the autumn for the BBC.
He said: “It has been a very tricky time and it all came out of the blue… I was told that it was pretty serious and (I) had to do something about it soon.
“So, almost immediately, I came off work and had an operation and hopefully (I’m) through it now, here I am.”
Owen married Vicki Beevers in July 2020, having previously been married to Jill Lavery, with whom he has four children.
The former chairman of Luton Town Football Club is also known for his broadcasting collaboration with journalist Anne Diamond – along with their stint on TV-am, they had their own current affairs morning programme on the BBC in the 1990s, Good Morning With Anne And Nick.
Diamond, now a GB News presenter, announced in June that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
A BBC spokesman said: “Nick has been one of the faces of Midlands Today for more than 25 years. Our viewers and his colleagues have missed him dearly in recent weeks.
“We can’t wait to welcome him back to the studio as soon as he’s ready. We all wish him a speedy recovery.”
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK – one in eight men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives and more than 52,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
According to the NHS, it mainly affects men over 50 and the risk increases with age. It is more common in black men or men with with a family history of prostate cancer.
