TalkTV and talkRADIO presenter James Whale has announced he is dying of terminal cancer, two years after first revealing his diagnosis. The 71-year-old made the emotional disclosure at the British Curry Awards in London on Monday, stating he has only months to live.
Addressing the audience, Whale said: “I know a lot of you won’t like me, but this time next year I won’t be here. I have terminal cancer. As you might be able to hear, I am having chemotherapy which makes it harder for me to breathe, but I’m OK. Don’t worry.” He added: “I am in my 70s now and I just want to say don’t waste your time on stupid things that don’t matter.”
Whale, who had a kidney removed in 2000 after doctors found a tumour, reflected on his life and urged unity. He also paid tribute to his late friend Enam Ali, founder of the British Curry Awards, who recently died of cancer. Whale attended the ceremony with his wife Nadine Talbot-Brown, whom he married last year. His first wife Melinda died of lung cancer four years ago.
Whale first gained fame hosting The James Whale Radio Show in Leeds in the 1980s, later moving to talkSPORT, LBC, and BBC radio. He began presenting on talkRADIO in 2016 and also appeared on the 18th series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2016.
