BBC London and 5 Live presenter Danny Baker has announced he has been diagnosed with cancer.
Danny, 53, posted on his Facebook and Twitter pages that he is starting chemotherapy today with further radiotherapy in the New Year.
Danny started out as a print journalist before coming into radio and working for – amongst others – BBC GLR, Radio Five, Radio 1, Talk Radio and Virgin Radio. He's been doing afternoons on BBC London 94.9 since 2005 and re-joined Five Live in 2008 to present 6-0-6 and more recently a Saturday morning show which returned for a new series in September.
Here's the message in full from Danny:
[b]Hello cats and kittens,
Apologies for the cloak and d. over recent weeks. However as it appears this is going to continue for the forseeable I really ought to offer up some sort of breadcrumbs trail as to what's going on. (As you know I am queasy about introducing vulgar real life onto the vaudeville stage so let's keep this crisp.)
After a pretty mouldy diagnosis about a month back I finally begin chemotherapy on Monday with further radiotherapy from January. Yes radiotherapy; can you beat it? This being so, the old treehouse baggy pants will be donned but sparingly. Once the quacks have soundly thrashed this thing I shall return like a rare gas and as if out of a trap. In the meantime I am watching Tommy Steele box sets (and has there ever been a more lying title to a film than TS's "It's All Happening"?) and urge you all to keep yakking up a storm and laugh extra loud at the incumbents.
Thank you for all the best wishes and concern from those who suspected as much about my "condition" and by all means keep ringing up Baylen and Amy to demand more and more Atomic Rooster and Spooky Tooth records.
So. Manly handshake. Walk right on. In the words of King George, "What what and there it is…"
DB[/b]
Some of the radio folk wishing Danny a speedy recovery via Twitter:
[b]Simon Mayo:[/b] Sending Danny Baker best wishes for a speedy return to broadcast duties. Get well soon Danny.
[b]Chris Evans:[/b] Hey guys regarding Danny B. He's so positive it's inspiring. As he would say "well there it is," now let's knock it out of the park !
[b]Radio 2's Bob Harris:[/b] All best to Danny Baker. A radio hero.
[b]Christian O'Connell:[/b] Thanks for twits about Danny Baker. I got the most amazing email from him over the weekend. He is as you'd expect handling it with unbelievable. Positivity, charm and spirit. I know we all wish him well. Send him healing vibes! Danny aka the candyman is the rare breed of unique fizzing white hot genius talent and a great man as well. Anyway, he'd hate all this….
[b]Jim Proudfoot (Absolute Radio football commentator):[/b] To a broadcaster I've never met but admire hugely. Get well soon Danny Baker… Everything crossed. Look forward to hearing you on air soon
[b]David Prever:[/b] Get well soon Danny Baker, an honour to have shared your studio a few times this year. Get back in there asap please.
[b]Adil Ray:[/b] Danny Baker proud of u comrade- keep fighting,Radio officially shite without u.