BBC Breakfast viewers have been paying tribute to Jeffrey Archer, who appeared on the programme days before he died. The bestselling author and Conservative politician had been interviewed by presenter Jon Kay last week, in line with his final book, Adam and Eve, being released.
BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, October 6, hosted by Jon and Sally Nugent, opened with the news that Archer has died aged 86. He died “suddenly and peacefully at home” on Monday between writing sessions, his publisher announced.
Final interview revisited
As BBC Breakfast paid tribute, they looked back on an interview that had taken place just days ago, when Archer spoke to Jon about his career, his health battle with prostate cancer, and his time in prison in 2001.
He also spoke about ‘semi-retirement’, after stepping back from writing novels, saying: “It’ll be the auctions I hope, and the charity work. My wife is currently building a hospital in Cambridge, a children’s hospital. I will write plays, I will write - I hope, if I live long enough - other things, so I won’t stop, it’s just the final novel.”
Viewers pay tribute
As Jon and Sally mentioned the final BBC Breakfast interview, viewers paid tribute. One wrote: “What a nice final interview with Jeffrey Archer. Not an easy man. But he lived a full and interesting life and was able to bounce back from his mistakes. His books will live on.”
Another said: “I greatly admired his can-do attitude and was saddened to hear of his passing. Rest in peace, Jeffrey,” reports the Mirror.
Someone else commented: “Rest in peace, Jeffrey Archer. A great author and a master storyteller. Thank you for the stories and the memories.” Yet another added: “Vibrant to the end. RIP Lord Archer ya Chancer.”
Someone else wrote: “I cannot believe that he has just died suddenly. What a shock. This was indeed his final novel, such insight!” Another added: “I greatly admired his can-do attitude and was saddened to hear of his passing. Rest in peace, Jeffrey.”
Health battle discussed
During the interview, Archer spoke about his prostate cancer battle, after being diagnosed in 2013. Jon asked: "You've spoken very honestly about your experience with prostate cancer, the effect on you mentally and physically of the treatment you had and on our programme, on BBC Breakfast, we've heard from a lot of people who have been through this too. Including Sir Chris Hoy."
Archer called Sir Chris Hoy a 'great man' before touching on his own experience with the disease. He replied: "I've been very aware of how lucky I am."
He urged other people: “I say to anybody listening, go to your doctor and check your PSA. There are too many stupid men who say, 'Oh no, I'm a macho guy, I don't do that sort of thing, I won't be checking my PSA'. Check your PSA."
As Jon asked about how he was doing at the time, Archer said he was doing fine, before demonstrating by getting up from his chair and sitting back down again. Telling the presenter that he was 86, he joked that the action was one of his “big exercises of the day”.
