BBC anchor Nick Owen revealed Monday that he is battling prostate cancer.
Owen spoke with the BBC about his initial diagnosis and described what it was like for him to come to terms with his new medical challenge.
“I went to see a specialist. He wasn’t too worried because my figures weren’t that high, but he decided I ought to have a scan and then the scan said there was something dodgy going on,” Owen told BBC. “And then he sent me for a biopsy which he did and the results of that were the killer, on April the 13th, a date which will forever be imprinted on my mind.”
Our colleague and friend Nick Owen has undergone surgery for prostate cancer.
Full story: https://t.co/lmqU3wWSQs pic.twitter.com/P8bNE6wrUZ— BBC News Midlands (@bbcmtd) August 7, 2023
Owen recalled the moment the doctor shared the severity of his diagnosis.
“He told us that it was extensive really and aggressive, and I had prostate cancer full-on, and something needed to be done pretty fast,” he said, according to BBC. “That was probably the worst day of my life, or certainly one of them.”
Owen went on to share his medical update with his loved ones after the initial shock of hearing the news himself.
“It was a very grim moment, driving home after that sort of news and ringing people, texting people, my phone went crazy for hours on end,” he said.
He described what it was like for him to process the new information. “It was a very, very difficult time for me, and indeed for my wife Vicki who was by my side all the time through this, you know,” he said. “It was grim.”
A spokesperson with the BBC confirmed that Owen would be stepping away from his job at the radio show in order to focus on his health and undergo treatment.
“Nick has been one of the faces of MidlanToday for more than 25 years,” the spokesperson said. “Our viewers and his colleagues have missed him dearly in recent weeks.” (RELATED: Soap Opera Legend Reveals Major Health Update)
Owen enjoyed a long-term career as a news anchor with the BBC after being a presenter on “Good Morning Britain” with Anne Diamond and “Good Morning With Anne and Nick.”