TV and radio legend James Whale has been taken into intensive care as he continues to fight cancer.
The star, who featured on Celebrity Big Brother, was forced to spend the Christmas period in intensive care after being hospitalised with flu. The 73-year-old's wife has revealed the scary news while confirming he is now back home to recover.
She told his followers online: ""After a worrying week I am happy to report that @THEJamesWhale is out of ICU and back at home, having batted off the Grim Reaper yet again."
She continued: "This time he tried with a bout of Influenza A, but without success. Our hero is home for NYE."
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James was diagnosed with stage-four kidney cancer four years ago. He continues to defy the odds despite fears he wouldn't see another Christmas. In April as he collected his MBE, he admitted he feared his time was nearing its end. He has been facing cancer since 2000 when he first had a kidney removed. In 2020, the TalkTV host disclosed that the cancer had aggressively returned, affecting his remaining kidney, spine, brain, and lungs.
Speaking to PA news agency following his MBE award, he admitted he was surprised he had been able to attend. He said: "I didn't think I'd be here to receive this. But who knows? I've been terminally ill now for nearly four years. Twenty five years ago I had the original cancer. So I might make the end of this year, I might not. I might be around next year."
He remained upbeat despite the prognosis, however, adding: "I think you've got to be positive. I know it's getting a bit worse than it was. You just have to go with the flow really. You have to do that to get through it. One in two of us is going to go on this journey until they find a cure. They will find a cure. But you have to make the most of it."
He also mused: "When you're my age and I've had a good life you say maybe you have another year left. Four years ago, we thought we had months."
James' late-night series, the James Whale Show, which was broadcast live simultaneously on Radio Aire in Leeds and ITV in the 1980s, saw the presenter rise to fame. His MBE was awarded for his extensive services to broadcasting and charity work over the past five decades.
"The award has been the pinnacle of doing what I've done," has said. "It makes me feel very proud that somebody has recognised the fact that I've spent my entire life being rude to people for entertainment. If my parents were alive, they would be in tears. It's a great honour at the end of your life."
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