Former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull has prostate cancer

Former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull has revealed he is suffering from prostate and bone cancer which is incurable.

The 62-year-old has gone public with this news in a bid to encourage other men to get their prostates checked.

Bill admitted he had not visited his GP for four years before having the test that confirmed his diagnosis. He is currently having chemotherapy in a bid to control the disease.

“Horrible moment,” said Bill, speaking of the moment his doctor delivered the bad news.

“That first moment is a real shell shock. You can’t remember the precise words, you just remember the hammer blow.

“The worst thing is, you carry it through the day and then you go to bed at night and wake up in the morning and it comes to you again. I have got cancer. I’ve still got cancer. It wasn’t a bad dream. And that takes a lot of dealing with.

“The contract I thought I had with life has been shortened quite a bit.”

Bill first joined Breakfast as a reporter in 1988 before turning presenter on the programme from 2001 to 2016.

I can confirm reports that I was diagnosed with prostate and bone cancer last November. I'm receiving excellent treatment including chemotherapy at @royalmarsdenNHS and am immensely grateful for the support I've had from colleagues @ClassicFM, where I continue to work.

— Bill Turnbull (@billtu) March 5, 2018