BBC Radio 1 presenter Greg James has returned to his Breakfast Show after his father Alan suffered a stroke during a scheduled heart operation last week. The 40-year-old DJ cancelled his Friday show to be with his family, but was back on air on Monday, confirming his dad is 'still with us' and 'fighting hard'.
'Thank you to Sam and Danni for Friday, as there was a slight mishap with my dad,' James said. 'My dad's not very well at the minute.' He explained he had taken the day off to 'be with everyone' but wanted to get back to work, adding: 'I know that he would want me to get back on the show. And he's still with us, which is good!'
In an emotional Instagram video, James revealed his father had gone in for heart surgery on Thursday, but the operation 'didn't go to plan, and he had a stroke'. He described visiting his dad in intensive care over the weekend, praising the 'amazing' NHS staff. 'He's not really there at the minute, and that's the hardest bit,' James admitted.
Despite the difficult time, James is determined to proceed with his latest Red Nose Day challenge, 'The Longest Ride', which begins on Friday. The fundraiser involves cycling 630 miles (1,000km) across the UK on a tandem bike over eight days, starting in Weymouth and finishing in Edinburgh. James noted his father had been a huge cheerleader for the challenge.
'I'm gonna come back on the Breakfast Show tomorrow, mainly because that's what my dad will want me to do; it's also what I wanna do,' James said. 'And also, he really wanted me to do this challenge.' He urged listeners to send messages of support to friends in similar situations, saying: 'In times like these, it's so nice to feel the love from people.'
