EXCLUSIVE Jamie Theakston makes heartfelt confession as he accepts Best Radio Show accolade at the TRIC Awards following his cancer battle
Jamie Theakston made a heartfelt confession as he accepted an award at the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) awards on Tuesday evening.
The presenter, 54, took to the stage after his radio show Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden was honoured during the evening.
However the star, who was diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer in October 2024, admitted he didn't know what the future in the last year amid his cancer battle.
Beginning with a playful jibe at his co-host Amanda he joked: 'Thank you very much as you know my co host can't stand the man in the limelight so you have me and it's a pleasure to be here.'
Jamie then confessed: 'There has been times in the past 12 months where I haven't known where I was gonna be never mind on this stage so I really appreciate it.
He added: 'We last won this 10 years ago so I'll see you in 10 years.'
Laryngeal cancer is a type of cancer that affects the larynx (voice box) and Jamie first sought went to the doctors after listeners noticed there was something not right with his voice.
After undergoing three life-changing surgeries and being told he had 'a one in six chance he might not be able to talk again', Jamie revealed back in January that he was cancer free and would be back on the radio full-time.
Last month Jamie revealed he initially kept his possible cancer diagnosis a secret from beloved wife Sophie Siegle for weeks as they enjoyed a family holiday to Japan.
The radio host said he was so blindsided by the news he worked hard to 'suppress it' in order to enjoy the trip with their sons Sidney, 17, and Kit, 16.
Speaking on an episode of Davina McCall 's Begin Again podcast, Jamie explained that he had to undergo emergency scans just hours before boarding a plane for their long-awaited family trip.
'I didn't tell anyone. At that stage, I thought, well, it might not be cancer. So there's no point really in saying anything,' he said. 'I just tried to suppress it. All I could think was, it's probably not.'
It wasn't until the biopsy results came back that the cancer diagnosis was confirmed. 'I then had to go home and tell my wife,' he said. 'She was distraught.'
'I went on holiday with this in the back of my mind, We had a fantastic time - but obviously, this was there in the background.'
Taking to Instagram in January Jamie shared the news he was cancer free as he wrote: 'Nice try cancer, but I'm still here! CANCER FREE. Difficult roads can lead to beautiful destinations, and after 3 surgeries and 4 months of vocal therapy, I'm back baby !!'
Breaking the news to his sons, he said, was the hardest part: 'I had to explain to them that I was going to be fine, but they were too young to understand. When you say you've got cancer to a 14-year-old, they think you're going to die'.
'My youngest son had been with me when I was told my mum had died of cancer, so he knew what it meant.'
Jamie lost his mum in late 2022. 'I was so pleased that she had died before I got cancer,' he said. 'I would've hated for her to know. I'm not sure what that would've done to her.
During the chat he recalled how listeners noticed his voice had changed: People mentioned my voice wasn't sounding right,' he said. 'And I knew it wasn't right myself, but you just think - sore throat, nothing serious.'
But a visit to a throat specialist changed everything. 'He looked at my throat and said, 'Oh yeah, that's probably cancer' I said 'What do you mean?' And he said 'Nine times out of ten, it is cancer and we need to get you scanned now.''
After his initial surgery, doctors feared some cancerous cells may have been left behind, prompting a second, and eventually a third operation. 'We were getting dangerously close to removing so much of the vocal cord that I wouldn't be able to talk again,' he reflected.
But the third surgery was successful, and in January this year, Jamie triumphantly returned to Heart Breakfast alongside co-host Amanda Holden - whom he credits with getting him through it. 'Amanda was incredible,' he said. 'She checked in on me nonstop. She kept the show going. She's a force of nature.'
Now cancer-free, Jamie says his recent health ordeal has dramatically transformed his outlook on life. 'It's been a real gift. Often when bad things happen to us, there are good things to take from it. And I really do feel that I am a better person because of what I've been through.
'I hope it'll make me a better parent. Maybe it might make me a better broadcaster. It certainly feels like it made me a better person.'
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