Chris Stark ‘staggered’ at response after announcing testicular cancer diagnosis
The radio presenter said he has been having chemotherapy ‘which is rubbish’ and ‘horrible’.
Capital Breakfast presenter Chris Stark has said he is “staggered” by the response to him announcing his testicular cancer diagnosis.
On Monday, the broadcaster, 38, who worked as a co-host on Scott Mills’ BBC Radio 1 show until 2022, said in a social media post that he is “effectively cured” but wants to encourage other men to get themselves checked.
Speaking to his Capital Breakfast co-hosts, Jordan North and Sian Welby, on Tuesday morning, he said: “So I put something on Instagram last night, but (have) not really had a chance to talk about this yet, and that’s been the lovely thing.
“I’ve been really looking forward to getting back to the radio and seeing you guys.
“I love doing the radio. It’s my favourite thing to do in the world.
“So it’s just really good to be back, firstly, back with you guys doing what we do. But yeah, I do have a bit of news to share, and I whacked (it) up on Instagram last night, and I’m staggered by the response there has been to that – overwhelmed.
“But yeah, look, last couple of months I’ve been dealing with a few things personally, and the guys here have known about it, and everyone’s been so, so supportive. So firstly, just want to say thank you to you guys.
“About two months ago now, I got diagnosed with testicular cancer, and this is a really heavy thing, and I’m aware of that.”
He added: “There’s been lots of doctors’ appointments. I had some surgery at one point. I came back from that surgery maybe a little earlier than I should.”
He continued: “Last week, I made a decision to have chemotherapy as well, and the idea of that was to kind of increase the chances of it not coming back.
“So it’s preventative rather than curing anything. That’s where I’ve been for the last sort of 10 days or so. I’ve been having chemotherapy, which is rubbish, and it’s horrible.
“But, you know, a lot of people go through this, and I’m very aware of that and so I’ve made a decision that I want to talk about it, because I think there is a bit of a stigma around this kind of thing.
“I think it’s quite a hard thing to talk about, given the area that it’s in. But testicular cancer is so treatable, and it’s really common in men aged 18 to 49 and this blew my mind when I found out about it.
“So I think it’s really important to talk about it, and if it means me kind of being honest about what I’ve gone through and sharing that experience, I’m happy to do it if it means that conversation is a bit easier for other blokes.”
Mills, 51, told Vernon Kay it was a “shock” to hear of his former co-host’s diagnosis, as he finished his BBC Radio 2 breakfast show on Tuesday.
“I’ve known about this really only for a couple or three weeks. But, yeah (it was) a shock at first but he’s gonna be fine.
“They found it early and he’s going to be all right,” he added.
“Obviously, it’s a shock when you just don’t expect it to happen to you, but it does.
“But he’s fine, and I’m checking in with him every day. I spoke to him last night.”
The NHS says that while the condition is most common in men aged between 15 to 49, it can affect anyone who has testicles.
It says that how serious testicular cancer is depends on the type of cancer, how big it is and if it has spread.
The main symptoms of testicular cancer include a lump or swelling in the testicles, testicles getting bigger, and pain in the testicles or scrotum.
