Veteran comedian Bobby Davro has urged men to undergo prostate examinations after revealing his cancer diagnosis. The impressionist and TV star, 67, said he cried with relief when he learned it was not terminal.
Appearing on ITV’s This Morning, he encouraged men to get a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test – a blood test that measures a protein produced by the prostate, which is used to screen for prostate cancer.
Davro said: "I think one in eight men get it. Coming in today, the man that picked me up in the car from Waterloo – he had it. I think a lot of men of colour, they get more prostate cancer, so it’s got to be checked."
"Get your PSA checked and have your prostate examined. My doctor told me mine was a bit swollen so I had the PSA test and it was 24, which wasn’t good at all."
"The NHS have been fantastic and a couple of days later, they gave me a biopsy to check out where it is and it was intermediate. I asked the urologist if it’s terminal, because that’s the first thing you think of and he said no, I will be buying Christmas presents for many years to come."
"That made me cry because it was such a relief."
Asked if he had any symptoms before the diagnosis, Davro said: "Not really. The only thing I had was erectile dysfunction. I can say that, can’t I?"
Davro first shared the news of his diagnosis at the weekend, when he told The Andrew Eborn Show: "I’ve got something wrong with me. I’ve got prostate cancer but I think it’s going to be alright. I think it’s sort of midrange so I’m taking all the injections and I’ve got the tablets. It’s not a nice thing to have to have."
The comedian said that he also suffered a stroke two years ago but told Eborn: "I think I’m alright now."
Davro’s diagnosis comes three years after the death of his fiancée, Vicky Wright, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Wright’s father was former Wolverhampton Wanderers star Billy, who played for England between September 1946 and May 1959 and was the first Englishman to win 100 caps before retiring and going on to be a TV football pundit. Her mother was Joy, of The Beverley Sisters, who died in 2015 at the age of 91. The singing trio had hits including I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Little Drummer Boy.
