Paul Burrell has opened up about undergoing radiotherapy to treat his prostate cancer, after receiving the diagnosis last year.
The former butler to Princess Diana and former footman to Queen Elizabeth II told Lorraine on Monday morning (27 March) that he was “very tired” and “emotional”.
Asked how he has been feeling, Burrell told the TV presenter: “I’m tired, Lorraine, I’m very tired. I’ve got five more sessions of radiotherapy to go. I’m very emotional, as you can see.
“But I’m looking forward to getting to the end of it and then I can go on a little break with [my husband] Graham, and we can just be thankful that it’s been found.
“In a few months’ time, I’ll find out whether it’s clear or not, and then I get on with the rest of my life. There’s a lot to live for.”
Burrell, 64, first shared his diagnosis in January and explained he had gone for a full medical examination for a ITV programme last summer.
“Out of that came a surprisingly high PSA test [a chemical released by the prostate gland],” he told Lorraine at the time. “I had no idea what a PSA test.”
His GP sent him for an MRI scan and they found a shadow on his prostate. A biopsy revealed that Burrell had cancer.
He has since gone on to raise awareness of prostate cancer and urged all men to get checked.
“You realise that there are thousands of men like me that had no symptoms, I didn’t realise what was happening and it could be too late,” he said.
In his new interview, Burrell shared a message aimed at women and asked them to encourage the men in their lives to get a PSA test.
“To all your viewers, all the lovely ladies out there, tell your husband to go for a PSA test, tell your love to go for a PSA test,” he said. “Because it could help save their lives too.”
He added how “grateful” he was to ITV for “picking me to do the jungle”. Last year, it was reported that Burrell would star in a spinoff of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! that is set to air in April.
The first nine campmates for I’m A Celebrity All Stars have been announced, including Carol Vorderman, Amir Khan, Janice Dickinson and Helen Flanagan, but it remains unclear if Burrell will make any appearance given his treatment.
However, he said that if he had not been chosen to take part he “would still be stuck here today not knowing that I had cancer growing inside me”.
“So my journey is a happy one,” Burrell told Lorraine.
The author and TV personality has been married to husband Graham Cooper since 2017. He has two sons, Alexander and Nicholas, who she shares with ex-wife Maria Cosgrove.
