Radio legend James Whale dies at 74 after battle with cancer

Time of India

2 days ago

Source: X
Veteran radio host and TalkTV presenter
James Whale
has died at the age of 73. Best known for his trailblazing style and outspoken presence on air, Whale passed away on Monday morning after entering hospice care.
In the days leading up to his death, he had spoken openly about feeling 'at peace' with what lay ahead.
His wife, Nadine, confirmed the news, telling the Express: "James slipped away very gently this morning. It was a beautiful passing and he left with a smile on his face."
Whale's death was first announced on TalkTV, where colleague Mike Graham paid tribute to his long-standing legacy in British broadcasting.
'James began his remarkable career in the early 1970s when he pioneered a new kind of radio in Britain, the late night shock jock phone-in,' Graham said.
He continued: 'By the late 1980s, The James Whale Radio Show had become a cultural phenomenon, broadcasting every weekend on ITV. He attracted millions of viewers, making him a household name. James would go on to host a variety of programmes for ITV, Sky and the BBC before finding a new audience for talk radio, all the while continuing to make headlines during his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.'
Source: X
Graham also highlighted Whale's contributions beyond broadcasting: 'In 2006, after surviving kidney cancer, James launched Kidney Cancer UK, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds.
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Undo
In 2024, James was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours, recognising his extraordinary contribution to broadcast and charity.
'James Whale broke the rules, he shaped the airwaves, and did it all on his own terms. For millions, James wasn't just a broadcaster. He was a companion, a provocateur, and a good friend that we'll all never forget. God bless you, James. We'll miss you.'
Fellow TalkTV host Jeremy Kyle also paid tribute, saying: 'He was an absolute fearless legend, a man who believed that it was about people.
Believed it was about opinion. Never shied away from being brave enough to say what he felt.'
Whale's death came just hours after a final column was published in which he shared: 'I'm happy to go.'
James Whale's cancer journey
James Whale's battle with cancer began in 2000, when he was first diagnosed with kidney cancer. At the time, doctors gave him just three months to live. As per Daily Mail, he underwent surgery to remove one of his kidneys, and the operation proved successful.
In 2006, he founded the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer to raise awareness and support research. Tragically, the disease returned in 2020. He later revealed that it had spread, not only to his remaining kidney, but also to his lungs, spine, and brain.
Source: X
Speaking on TalkTV with Ash Gould in May 2024, Whale said: "I'm at the end of my cancer journey. There is no treatment I can have anymore."
He added, "I can't tell you how grateful I am to Talk to actually let me on the air and sit next to Ash, which is a real pain in the butt, but I've been doing it for 25 years!"
He also described the toll the illness had taken on him following a severe bout of flu that led to an ICU stay over Christmas.
Despite it all, he kept his sense of humor, remarking.
In June, he gave viewers a further update, saying: "Until very recently, everything was quite normal for me, everything was fine, and then you do get to a stage like I am now, where things get to be very very difficult. To anybody else who is in the final stages of cancer, you have my sympathy. I know exactly what you're going through, I do know. I look basically okay, I get told you look alright and I look okay, it's all make-up.
"
James Whale was candid about the emotional weight of terminal illness. Just two years after losing his first wife, Melinda, to lung cancer, he learned his own cancer had returned. Speaking to TalkTV, he recalled the moment of diagnosis: "I came home, had a little think about things. I decided I'm just booking myself a trip to Dignitas. You might as well just go and get it over with."
He added: "I'd looked into it quite some time ago because Melinda died two years ago and it's been something in the back of my mind. This little b*****d has spread. It's in my remaining kidney. I've got a couple of small lesions in my lungs. I've got it in my spine. I've got it in my brain."
Despite his strength, he never shied away from admitting the pain and fatigue he felt. 'I don't want to go on forever feeling like this,' he once said.
James Whale is survived by his wife Nadine and his two sons, James and Peter.