TV presenter Nick Owen has revealed he is being treated for “aggressive” prostate cancer.
The 75-year-old journalist worked on TV-AM in the 1980s, co-hosting with Anne Diamond. They reunited in 1992 for Good Morning with Anne and Nick. Since 1997, he’s been a lead presenter on BBC Midlands Today, but hasn’t been on the show in recent weeks.
Nick has now revealed that his absence is due to doctors finding an “extensive” cancer. He said the day he was told, back in April, was the “worst day of his life”.
Nick Owen diagnosed with prostate cancer
Speaking on BBC Midlands Today last night (August 7), Nick said: “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 was something dodgy going on. And then he sent me for a biopsy and it was the results of that [that] were the killer.”
“He told us that it was extensive and aggressive and I had prostate cancer full-on and something needed to be done and 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. It was grim.”
Nick’s surgery
A scan before surgery gave him “a beacon of hope” as it showed the cancer was contained in the prostate and had not spread. Taking advice from doctors, Nick opted for a radical prostatectomy, which involves removing the whole prostate gland. He also had 25 lymph nodes taken out.
“Hopefully I’m through it now and here I am,” he said. “Wonderfully it was all clear, so that’s great news.” Nick added that “it’s not been easy but I’m emerging now”.
The star added that he’ll be forever grateful that his GP sent him for tests: “Thank god he did because he saved my life,” he said.
Back to work
The presenter said the surgery was successful and, after his recovery, hopes to be back on screen in the autumn.
A BBC spokesperson 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 cannot wait to welcome him back to the studio as soon as he is ready. We all wish him a speedy recovery.”
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