TV presenter Nick Owen unveils his MBE delight as he talks about prostate cancer awareness

BBC Midlands Today presenter Nick Owen was awarded the accolade in June, as part of the King's Birthday Honours list for his services to charity and broadcasting.

Speaking following the ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, Owen, 76, who lives in Kinver and went to Shrewsbury School, said he was "absolutely thrilled" and "stunned" at the award, going to say that the response to his announcement of his prostate cancer has been "absolutely phenomenal".

The presenter first announced the diagnosis when he publicly discussed his experiences on the BBC Midlands Today and BBC Breakfast programmes in August 2023.

At the time of the diagnosis, Owen said he had "no symptoms at all" and encouraged other men to get tested.

Talking about the public reception to his diagnosis, Nick Owens said: "Literally thousands of people wrote and got in touch, whether it was males or wives or mothers, saying 'you've finally persuaded my husband, brother, son to do something about it', and the response was staggering.

"Only last week I met someone, it was very humbling, they said I saved his life because he went and had a PSA (prostate-specific antigen test) because of what I said on television and turned out he'd got it and he's had an operation.

"And I'm meeting someone else in about a week's time, similarly who says that I contributed to helping save his life because he went and has a PSA as a result of my appeal and he was diagnosed.

When asked how it felt to speak to people who say he helped save their lives, Owen said: "It's very humbling, overwhelming, and very fulfilling.

"It's good to say, after all we went through as a family, something good came out of it, something positive and that's a great feeling."

The presenter also spoke of his diagnosis, saying that it was a "pretty difficult time" and "frightening" but said that, as of now, his prognosis is "looking very good."

The former chairman of the Luton Football Club also talked of his long career in broadcasting, saying that he is "very grateful" for the 46 years he has spent in the industry.

He said: "You get to interview so many people - I think I've interviewed seven or eight prime ministers now as well as top showbiz stars from around the world and sports stars and so on.

"I'm just grateful for so many different aspects of my life, the great variety, the opportunities and the people I've met and the events I've been to.

"I think I'm a lucky boy."

As well as his work with the charity Prostate Cancer UK, Owen is also a patron of the charity Baby Lifeline, which aims to enhance safe care for pregnant people and newborn babies.

He has also been a supporter of the bereavement charity Edward's Trust for more than 30 years.