Bill Turnbull has announced he is leaving his show on Classic FM for health reasons as he continues to live with terminal prostate cancer.
The well-known radio and TV presenter announced the news on Twitter this morning, where he confirmed ‘with great regret’ that he would be taking ‘a leave of absence… for health reasons’.
He explained: ‘The road has been a bit bumpy recently, and I need to take some time to focus on getting better.
Bill said he was ‘sorry to do this, as I absolutely love doing the programme’.
‘I am very grateful to friends and colleagues [at global] for the love and support they have shown me,’ he added.
The broadcaster reassured his fans that he ‘will be back, just as soon as I can be’.
Fans were quick to wish the presenter well, and while many admitted they would miss him on the air, everyone agreed ‘health comes first’.
BBC Breakfast’s Dan Walker was among the people sending him good wishes following the news, writing: ‘Wishing you all the very best Bill. Take care of yourself.’
Classic FM’s managing editor Philip Noyce praised Bill’s ‘passion for the music, entertaining wit, enthusiasm, and love for Classic FM’s listeners’, saying he ‘will be much missed’.
He added: ‘We can’t wait to have you back on-air soon!’
Bill, who previously hosted BBC Breakfast, and Good Morning Britain alongside Susanna Reid, has hosted the Classic FM weekend show for five years.
He had previously announced in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer the previous November, which spread and became incurable.
Earlier this week, a fan on Twitter asked how he was doing and Bill responded: ‘Still here!’
Bill, 63, recently appeared in a BBC documentary which, over the course of a year, saw the TV personality undergoing chemotherapy and trying medical cannabis following his devastating diagnosis.
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