Davina McCall was visibly moved as she welcomed Jamie Theakston back to Heart FM Breakfast, after his battle with stage one laryngeal cancer.
Fighting back tears, the former Big Brother host said: “I’m worried about talking in case I set myself off again.”
Her emotional response came following Jamie’s announcement last October that he was suffering from the disease.
Jamie returned to the airwaves on January 20, having been declared cancer-free. Davina, still emotional, recounted the moment Jamie realised something was wrong with his throat, saying: “I looked at you and thought ‘oh my goodness I think I’ve really really hurt him’ you looked genuinely in agony and I thought it wasn’t acting.”
She added, feeling a sense of relief at his recovery: “But I felt I carried that for a very long time and you getting better means so much to me.”
Jamie expressed his gratitude towards Davina, stating: “Without you doing that, I would not have known there was something wrong with my throat. In actual fact it wasn’t that you did any damage, it was the opposite.”, reports Lancs Live.
After his diagnosis, Jamie underwent three surgeries and four months of vocal therapy, treatments that sometimes leave individuals unable to speak again.
While Jamie’s recovery from cancer was announced recently, Davina has been going through a health battle of her own in recent months. She was forced to have surgery on her brain after doctors had discovered a benign tumour called a colloid cyst.
After successfully undergoing the surgery, Davina said: “My short-term memory is a bit remiss but that’s something I can work on. I’m writing down everything I’m doing to keep myself feeling safe.
“I’m on the mend, I’m resting, I’m sleeping loads, I feel really good. And very lucky.”
The NHS states that laryngeal cancer, which affects the larynx or voice box located at the entrance of the windpipe, plays a vital role in our ability to breathe and speak. It is estimated that there are over 2,000 new cases of this condition each year.
The disease is thought to be more common in those over 60, with more men than women being diagnosed.