Jamie Theakston, a 53-year-old presenter from Heart Radio, shared on Instagram that he has stage 1 laryngeal cancer, which is cancer of the voice box. He said he went to the doctor after some of his listeners noticed that something seemed off with his voice.
Jamie said, “Hi everyone, as you know, I recently had surgery to remove a lesion from my vocal cords. The biopsy showed that it’s Stage 1 Laryngeal cancer. So, I have cancer, but cancer doesn’t have me!”
Jamie said, “The outlook is really good, and I’m hoping to be back with you in October. Until then, I’ve been told to rest my voice, so JK and Amanda will be taking over for now. A big thank you to them and everyone at Global for being so supportive. Be grateful for today, and when I see you again, I’ll have an amazing story to share.”
On September 1, Jamie said he went to get checked after some listeners noticed that his voice didn’t sound quite right.
According to the NHS, symptoms of laryngeal cancer include changes in your voice, like sounding hoarse, pain when swallowing, a lump or swelling in your neck, a long-lasting cough or shortness of breath, a persistent sore throat or earache, and in severe cases, trouble breathing.
In the UK, more than 2,000 new cases of laryngeal cancer are diagnosed each year. It’s more common in people over 60 and affects men more often than women.
Jamie, who is married to Sophie Siegle, shared on Instagram: “A few of you listeners noticed my voice hasn’t sounded right these past weeks – thanks to you, I got it checked. Doctors found a lesion on my vocal cords, which I had removed this weekend. Thanks for all the kind messages – I should be back soon.” He ended the post with a zip-up mouth emoji.
Previously, fans expressed concern about Jamie’s voice on Heart FM’s Instagram. One comment from August 22 said, “Jamie, you need to sort your bad throat out.” Jamie also appeared in a video on August 23 with Zoe, where they announced the winners of a £30,000 giveaway.
After Jamie shared his news, Amanda wrote: “Our wonderful Jamie Theakston has been diagnosed with stage 1 laryngeal cancer. His prognosis is very good, and he has a great team around him. Jamie, we love and miss you, and we can’t wait to see you again soon. With your wife Sophie, your lovely boys, and all of us supporting you, you’ll get through this.”
A few weeks before Jamie’s diagnosis, Davina McCall joked that she might have caused his throat issue. Jamie had said her enthusiastic hug left his throat bruised when she filled in for Amanda on the show. Amanda added, “Davina gave Jamie a huge hug, and after that, his voice started getting worse. He went to the doctor, and they found a lesion on his throat, which he’s had removed, and everything is fine now.”
Jamie became famous in the mid-90s, hosting the children’s show Live & Kicking with Zoe Ball in 1996. He later hosted Top of the Pops in 1999 and went on to have a successful TV career, with big gigs like A Question Of Pop and Glastonbury coverage.
Jamie later moved to Channel 4, where he teamed up with Zoe Ball again to host The Priory, a mix of celebrity chat, gossip, and games, which ran for three successful seasons.
Some of his other TV shows include The Games, The People’s Quiz, Beg Borrow or Steal, and With A Little Help From My Friends.
These days, Jamie is also well-known for his radio career, co-hosting the Heart FM national breakfast show with Amanda Holden. He started out on Radio 5 Live and then moved to BBC Radio 1 in 1999 to host the Sunday Lunch show. Jamie has won a BAFTA for Live & Kicking and several awards for his radio work.
He married his wife Sophie on September 15, 2007, in Ditchling, and they live in Chiswick, West London, with their two children. The couple met at the Oscars in 2006, and Jamie proposed a year later. They welcomed their first child, Sidney, in April 2008, and their second son, Kit, in September 2009.
