Children's television legend Johnny Ball has spoken of his joy at being given the all clear from prostate cancer, as he approaches his 88th year. The 87-year-old, who celebrated his golden wedding anniversary with wife Dianne last year, said he is 'laughing more now than at any other time in my life'. Diagnosed in 2022, he underwent radiation treatment and was given the all clear in 2023.
Speaking from his home in south Buckinghamshire, Ball expressed his opposition to assisted dying, citing fears that people could be coerced into ending their lives. He referenced the ancient Greek scholar Eratosthenes, who starved himself to death at around age 80, calling it 'one of the saddest things I know in history'. Ball said he would be uncomfortable with relatives deciding when a person's quality of life is no longer acceptable.
Ball, who shot to fame on BBC's Play School in the 1960s, has written a second memoir, 'Stories That Must Be Told!', due for release on March 28. He said he has been 'kicked in the teeth' by life but remains upbeat, adding: 'I'm happy that I'm still fit at 87. By rights, I don't have long left, I want to spend it with a smile on my face.'
The BAFTA winner also praised King Charles for speaking publicly about his cancer diagnosis, saying: 'We all need to read about what other people do. I'm still here – so is he. So don't tell me there's less hope, there's definitely more hope.' Ball also criticised the current school curriculum, particularly the removal of binary numbers from maths teaching in 2000, and said he is ready to advise Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer if needed.
