Rylan Clark has revealed why he will be keeping his 38th birthday celebrations understated this year, as he juggles his radio commitments with caring for his mum following a difficult week at home.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter discussed his birthday plans while chatting to Ellie Taylor on air, where he also discovered that his colleagues had prepared a cheeky surprise to mark the occasion.
Rylan became suspicious after spotting a birthday card on the studio table, prompting him to question whether he could trust Ellie.
Card Surprise and Age Jokes
"Because I've just seen a card on this studio table," he explained.
Ellie told him the team had bought him a card, encouraging him to open it during the live broadcast.
Reading the message aloud, Rylan said: "'Happy birthday!' And then you remember, like, the Now albums, it says, 'Now that's what I call old. Rylan, happy 50th! You're looking fly, daddy! From the whole team.'"
Quick to point out that he was still well short of 50, he reminded Ellie: "I'm 38 tomorrow."
Focus on Mum Linda
When she questioned his age, Rylan responded with a joke about his appearance, saying: "I mean, some parts of my face are only three, four. No, we're doing all right."
Despite the birthday milestone, the presenter revealed he would not be throwing a big party this year. Instead, much of his attention has been focused on his mum Linda, who has been unwell.
"Not much. Actually, I'm not having, like, a big one or anything like that this birthday. I've been looking after Linda this week; she's been a bit poorly. Little bit poorly sick," he said.
Rylan explained that his plans were likely to be modest, with a drink and lunch on the agenda before he returned to his caring duties.
"So tonight, I'll probably have a little beverage. And then tomorrow, probably have, like, a little bit of lunch. And then, I'll be back to nursing duties. I feel like Florence Nightingale," he said.
Parking Woes at Harlow Hospital
The presenter also used the conversation to highlight another challenge he had encountered while looking after his mum: finding somewhere to park at Harlow Hospital.
"You know, as an Essexarian, can we just talk about how hard it is to park at Harlow Hospital, please?" he asked.
Ellie admitted she was unfamiliar with the hospital, but Rylan said his recent visits had given him plenty of experience with its car parks.
"Well, I am now, right? I know every crack and crevice, and honestly, there's, like, eight car parks with, like, 40 spaces," he said.
Comparing the experience to navigating a maze, Rylan called for a multi-storey car park to be built and joked that he was launching a campaign to get the issue addressed.
Linda's Recent Health Issues
His comments come after Linda, 74, recently returned to their regular radio segment following a break. During the hiatus, she had scraped her leg in an accident.
Speaking on his show, Rylan told listeners: "Mummy Linda is going to be back on the phone a bit later on. Hopefully she's alright. She scraped her leg the other day, so that's been fun. I'm just like, okay, yep, here we go, another issue, but I'm sure she'll be fine."
Linda later reassured her son that she was fine before telling him: "You ain't got to tell everyone, thank you."
Rylan subsequently described his mum as "a nightmare walking" as they discussed her history of accidents.
In January, Linda fractured her shoulder and suffered bruising after slipping on ice while putting the bins out. She also fell down an escalator at a shop last year and required medical attention.
A holiday in Spain in 2023 ended in further trouble when Linda broke her arm and leg, leaving her needing to return to the UK on a medically equipped private jet.
