Radio DJ Chris Evans has revealed he has been diagnosed with the early stages of skin cancer.
During his Virgin Radio Breakfast Show on Monday, the presenter said that, because it was caught quickly, it is “as treatable as cancer can possibly be”.
The 57-year-old told listeners: “I’ve just got to talk briefly about my biopsy for the skin cancer issue.
“So, the best news that I got whilst I was away is that it was a positive test, so I have tested positive for skin cancer.
Chris Evans urges people to get checked following skin cancer diagnosis #ChrisEvans #ChrisEvansBreakfastShow @achrisevans https://t.co/bGBdpNg3C1
— Virgin Radio UK (@VirginRadioUK) August 21, 2023
“Obviously better news would have been (that it was) negative. But the reason it’s great news is because they’ve caught it as early as they can, as early as is possible.”
The former BBC Radio 1 and 2 presenter told listeners that he got tested because his masseuse, whom he described as an “angel sent from Heaven”, encouraged him to go after she spotted an unusual looking freckle on his skin.
He added: “Because they caught it so early, it’s as treatable as cancer can possibly be to the extent that… some specialists refer to it as ‘stage zero’ or ‘pre-cancer’.”
He said the next step is for him to get “a square of skin taken off” on September 14.
The broadcaster added that he has thanked his masseuse for “potentially saving my life” and urged others to get any symptoms examined.
“Just check yourself for stuff, as you get older especially, on your skin, on your bits and your bobs,” he said.
“Just keep checking, because the biggest weapon in your arsenal, in our our collective arsenal against things that are out to get us is early detection. And so please do that.”
In 2015, Evans was given the all-clear following a prostate cancer scare.
He was a presenter on Channel 4 shows The Big Breakfast and TFI Friday and hosted various shows on BBC Radio 2, including his long-running breakfast programme which he left in 2018 to move to Virgin Radio.