Guest columnist Louise Minchin says her mentor and friend Bill Turnbull was very brave when he decided to talk publicly about his prostate cancer – and by doing so, he helped others
It’s been over a year since my good friend and fellow former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull died from prostate cancer at the age of 66.
I know that by talking about his diagnosis and treatment, Bill has saved lives â because several people have stopped me to tell me. When I was shopping in IKEA, I noticed a man looking at me and he eventually plucked up the courage to say: “Louise, I had to come and speak to you.
“I am only here working today because Bill Turnbull talked about his prostate cancer diagnosis. Because of him, I went to the doctor and found out I had prostate cancer too and I had an operation that saved my life.” It takes my breath away when somebody says this to me and it’s very emotional.
But I really appreciate that people do it because I was so fond of Bill and it’s such a beautiful thing that he did. Thanks to Bill, so much is now changing. NHS data has shown that a record 25,000 patients were referred for suspected urological cancer in England last November, with prostate cancer making up the large majority.