Bradley Walsh admitted he felt “humbled and a bit emotional” as he spoke about turning 60 with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield on This Morning.
The TV star will celebrate the milestone on Thursday, while ITV will air a one-off documentary on Wednesday night charting his life and career.
Speaking from his home in Essex, he said: “It was only yesterday that it seemed I had my 50th birthday and then all of a sudden this thing is happening on telly.
“I feel really quite humbled and a bit emotional actually. I didn’t realise that was going to happen. It’s lovely.”
Walsh shared a piece of advice he was given during the early days of his career.
He said: “A massive piece of advice I was given earlier on in my career was ‘Whatever you do, the easiest part of showbusiness is giving up – don’t’.
“And seriously, when I got a knock back, I kept going and kept going.”
Willoughby and Schofield decked out the studio with balloons and bunting, and gifted Walsh a hamper of his favourite sweet, Wine Gums.
Willoughby told him: “I know that you are a massive fan of a certain sweet. You have a very sweet tooth and Bradley, look at this, these are your favourite, aren’t they? Wine gums.”
Walsh replied: “I’ll tell you what, next time you see me in real life, I have actually put a stone on.”
He added: “I’m the heaviest I have ever been. I need to lose some weight a bit lively. I really do.”
Willoughby quipped: “Well these will help.”
The broadcast was also briefly interrupted by a burst of noise, which Walsh blamed on the Coldstream Guards, part of the British Army, who he joked were practising outside his window.
Bradley Walsh: Happy 60th Birthday airs on Wednesday at 9pm on ITV