'Bill Turnbull sent three haunting words – I realised he had cancer'
Cancer is a scary time for both patients and their loved ones, which Nick Robinson knows all too well having been diagnosed in 2015.
The broadcaster had a neuroendocrine tumour on his lungs, with his throat and vocal chords damaged during the treatment leaving him unable to speak for a time.
Nick is thankfully in remission but some colleagues and friends have not been so ‘lucky’ as Nick puts it, with fellow broadcasters George Alagiah and Bill Turnbull both dying recently.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, the Today programme presenter, 59, reflected on a poignant moment when the late BBC Breakfast host text him.
‘I remember getting a one-line text saying “Can you call?”‘ Nick recalled of a fateful day in 2017.
He continued: ‘When we got together it was never Bill that called, it was his wife who called me or called my wife.
‘So I remember seeing that message and saying to my wife, “He’s got cancer”. She replied. “How do you know that?”.
‘Just from those few words, I said “Believe me, that’s why he’s called”.’
Nick was right and Turnbull had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, reaching out to his friend for comfort and advice in that scary moment – he died five years later aged 66.
Since his recovery, Nick has found that people often reach out to him after their own diagnosis, sharing he spoke to the late Alagiah ‘a lot’.
He even has a ‘top 10 tips for chemo’ list that he sends when asked for advice but firmly believes simply talking about it helps.
‘It’s that old British stiff upper lip and say nothing, that somehow showing your emotions is weakness.’ the journalist said.
‘In fact, opening up to people and explaining to people is just a way of learning to deal with it.
‘There’s the traditional view of the strong man as the leader of the family who doesn’t show is “vulnerability” or a “weak side” and somehow you’d be letting the family down if you aren’t the strong person in household.
‘With cancer talking about it is strong, it’s not a weak thing it shows you’re coming to terms with it and tackling the fear.’
Nick has teamed up with Macmillan Cancer Support to encourage people, especially men, to talk and share experiences ahead of its annual Coffee Morning on Friday.
He continued: ‘It takes away a bit of the fear and mystique, just talking about it. Talk to family and friends, talk to people who love you.
‘This is a journey you need support on and you can only have support if people know what you’re going through.’
Speaking to his own Macmillan nurse helped the esteemed broadcaster through his own journey, especially when he lost his voice as a result of an operation.
As a well-known presenter, Nick acknowledges he was in a fortunate to go back to work when he chose to – which happened to be for the 2015 election night with ‘half a voice’.
‘That was what was right for me and my sanity,’ he explained. ‘Election night is like my world cup!’
While there is no set path through cancer and everyone’s experience is different, Nick firmly believes simply talking about ‘the C-word’ can help remove fear.
Macmillan estimates two in three people either have cancer or know someone with it, reinforcing the broadcaster’s point that nobody is alone in this.
Nick concluded: ‘We’re not talking about some obscure tropical disease, we’re talking about something that almost everyone has or knows someone with.
‘Remember that millions of people live with cancer, as well as some dying from it so do not start by thinking it is a death sentence.’
Macmillan Cancer Support’s annual Coffee Morning fundraiser returns again this year, officially taking place on Friday 29th September, with local events occurring up and down the UK to help raise vital funds for people living with cancer.
Sign up at https://coffee.macmillan.org.uk/ to host or to find a local event near you to attend.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
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