Radio DJ Mark Radcliffe has told how tumours the size of a ‘walnut’ and an ‘apple’ were removed from his neck in his battle against cancer.
The presenter stunned listeners last October when he announced on air he was stopping his show to receive treatment.
The 60-year-old said he discovered the cancerous lump on his neck after shaving his beard off while on holiday with his wife Bella.
Mr Radcliffe, who hosted the BBC Radio 2 Folk Show, said he would be taking time off for treatment for ‘cancerous tongue and lymph node issues’ which had been diagnosed a month earlier.
He told the Mirror: ‘I’d had a beard for a while and thought, ”oh it’s too hipster, everyone has a beard now. I’ll go clean shaven” and as I took it off I noticed something on my neck.
‘I thought it was probably a swollen lymph gland but when we got home I went to my GP, who sent me for an ultrasound.
DJ Mark Radcliffe discovered a cancerous tumour on his neck after shaving his beard off while on holiday with his wife
BBC Radio 2 Folk Show host Mark Radcliffe announced on air last October he would be taking some time off for treatment for ‘cancerous tongue and lymph node issues’
‘I found myself seeing a specialist for a biopsy and being told I had a cancerous growth in my neck.’
He was on holiday with his family last July in Polzeath, Cornwall, when he discovered the lump, reports the Mirror.
Mr Radcliffe told how tumours were removed from the back of his tongue, lymph nodes and neck.
He added: ‘They took a walnut-sized thing from deep down on the back of my tongue.
‘Then from my neck, which was the secondary in the lymph nodes, they took something the size of an apple.
‘My wife Bella said, ”an apple and a walnut? That’s practically a Waldorf salad”.’
Announcing his diagnosis last October, he told listeners: ‘Now – here’s a thing – I’m sad to say that I’ve got some cancerous tongue and lymph node issues and so, as I’m sure you’ll understand, I’m going to be disappearing for a while to get that all sorted out.
‘It’s all been caught very early and so everything should be fine.’
Mr Radcliffe, also a BBC Radio 6 Music presenter, went on: ‘All being well I’ll be back in action in the new year – or sooner if I feel well enough – but I will be back, you can depend on it.
Mark Radcliffe with fellow broadcaster Stuart Maconie presenting their afternoon show on BBC Radio 6 Music
Mark Radcliffe with colleague Stuart Maconie (pictured left) and rock star Robert Plant (centre)
DJ Mark Radcliffe and his daughters at the Legoland Discovery Centre opening in March 2017
Fans and presenters gave their support to the popular broadcaster Mark Radcliffe who took time off work to get treatment for cancer
‘I just can’t say exactly when that will be. So you won’t hear from me for a while now and therefore… well… Merry Christmas I guess. Life eh?’
Fans reacted with an outpouring of support online for the popular DJ, who is an avid Manchester City fan.
Fellow presenters have allow tweeted their support with Claudia Winkleman saying: ‘Sending so much love’ and Simon Mayo saying ‘Hey get well soon Mark! Look forward to your full recovery.’
Mark Radcliffe at the BBC 6 Music Festival at the Barrowland Ballroom, in Glasgow, in March 2017
The Folk Show was presented by Ricky Ross for a few weeks before Mr Radcliffe began recording the show again in January.
After his surgery, Mr Radcliffe underwent an intensive six-week course of radiotherapy and two rounds of chemotherapy.
He then started live presenting the 6Music weekend breakfast show with Stuart Maconie again.
Mr Radcliffe was born in Bolton in 1958 and attended the Bolton School before studying English and American Studies at Manchester in 1979.
He joined the BBC Manchester in 1986 and produced Radio One and Two Programmes including ‘The Organist Entertains.’
The 60-year-old, who is married and has three daughters, presented a variety of shows on BBC Radio One with Marc Riley.
Their stage names were Marc and Lard and they presented a late night show in 1995 called The Graveyard Shift which featured a mix of comedy sketches, live readings, and regular contributors such as noted film critic Mark Kermode.
In 1997 he briefly presented the flagship Radio One breakfast show with Marc Riley and then moved to afternoon show winning three Sony Awards.
As well as being a popular broadcaster, Mr Radcliffe was also part of a spoof band called The Shirehorses who released two albums and appeared at Glastonbury in 1997.
The musician also made three albums with folk rock band The Family Mahone as well as being a mainstay of the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage.
He left Radio 1 and moved to Radio 2 in 2004 and in 2005 he published his first novel called Northern Sky.
He has also released a book of memoirs in 2009 called ‘Thank You For The Days.’
In 2011 he moved to afternoons with Stuart Maconie on Radio 6 Music and in 2013 started presenting the Radio 2 Folk Show.
Mr Radcliffe is supporting North West Cancer Research’s head and neck cancer campaign #SpeakOut, which launched today.
To find out more about the symptoms of head and neck cancer as well as support the North West Cancer Research’s #SpeakOut campaign visit nwcr.org.
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