Newsreader Dermot Murnaghan has today revealed why he shared his stage four prostate cancer diagnosis with the world – as he said he plans to join Sir Chris Hoy on a charity bike ride to raise money for cancer charities.
The former BBC and Sky News anchor, 67, told Times Radio on Saturday that the response from the public ‘surpassed anything I’d imagined’ as he encouraged other men to get tested.
Describing why he decided to announce his private health battle, Mr Murnaghan said: ‘A few people were asking, there were a few whispers out there, so in journalistic parlance you take control of the narrative don’t you, so I put a little message out there and got a massive response.
‘And I’m glad, not in terms of the feedback to me and the support which has been amazing but in terms if one man, one, goes and gets tested and finds he’s got what I’ve got or it’s developing and they get treated earlier, I’ve done something.
‘Somebody somewhere has benefitted from my problems.’
He added: ‘Whatever modicum of glimmering recognition I have I just hope to use it to help people.’
Stage four is the most advanced stage of cancer, meaning cancerous cells have spread beyond the prostate and into other areas of the body. In these cases it is generally not curable, but it can be treated.
The journalist, who has been married to his wife Maria for almost 36 years and has four children, revealed his diagnosis on Twitter on Monday.
Newsreader Dermot Murnaghan today revealed he has been diagnosed with stage four cancer
The former BBC and Sky News anchor, 67, is a keen cyclist and is planning to take part in a charity bike ride with Sir Chris Hoy in September
Dermot revealed the tragic news on twitter, but said he feels well and is getting excellent treatment
He said: ‘I’ve been diagnosed with stage four advanced prostate cancer I’m fortunate to have a simply outstanding medical team looking after me, who I can’t thank enough – they are administering the best possible care with expertise, compassion and sensitivity’, he wrote.
‘I’m responding positively to their excellent treatment, and feeling well’.
Speaking to Times Radio today, the newsreader revealed he was diagnosed ‘a while ago’ and is currently undergoing chemo therapy, which he quipped he ‘wouldn’t recommend’.
He added that he didn’t think he had any symptoms of prostate cancer, but was encouraged by Sir Chris Hoy’s announcement he had uncurable cancer in late 2024 to get tested.
Mr Murnaghan said: ‘You might not have symptoms. The symptoms are up there, they’re on the cancer websites, on the NHS, you might not have them – I didn’t.
‘You get a bit older and you have a few beers and you get up at night and have a wee. And you think well that’s not it. That’s one of the big signs of course, is urinating a lot more at night.’
Mr Murnaghan told the station he is taking part in a charity bike ride to raise money for cancer alongside Sir Chris Hoy, who also has stage four prostate cancer.
The ‘Tour de 4’ event, organised by Sir Chris, is available for anyone to attend, particularly those who have had stage 4 cancer and their friends and family.
He has often been spotted cycling through the streets of London (pictured in 2016) and says he now tries to exercise every day
Dermot Murnaghan and wife Maria at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London. The couple have four children
Dermot Murnaghan speaks in front of cameras outside Buckingham Palace as he told Sky News viewers that the Queen had died in 2022
The event, which will take place on September 7, features four different rides form a challenging 56 mile road race to a 1km family ride around the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome in Glasgow, and stationary bikes for anyone to unwell to ride standard bikes.
Asked how he is fairing overall, he said: ‘I’m feeling alright, I’m having chemo at the moment, I wouldn’t recommend it. But I get up in the morning, I take everything they give me, I eat well and… I’m out for a shortish bike ride.’
He said he exercises every day in a bid to keep as healthy as possible despite his cancer diagnosis.
NHS guidance says men over the age of 50 are at highest risk of developing prostate cancer, but the journalist has joined Sir Chris in wanting to help men get screened earlier.
About one in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime, according to the charity Prostate Cancer UK, and the disease often has no symptoms in its earlier stages.
Dermot left Sky and TV broadcasting after more than 15 years in 2023.
Before joining Sky News, Murnaghan presented ITV’s News At Ten and the BBC Ten O’Clock News – now known as BBC News At Ten – as well as Channel 4 News.
Murnaghan has also hosted the BBC’s quiz programme Eggheads.
Mr Murnaghan was the ITN presenter who announced Princess Diana had died in 1997. Dermot has also presented the quiz show Eggheads and documentaries
Dermot started out in local newspapers and became one of the biggest names in TV
Dermot Murnaghan and Natasha Kaplinsky became a famous BBC Breakfast duo
While at Sky News he was the journalist who announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace as well as numerous elections in the UK.
He began his career as a trainee reporter at local newspapers before joining Channel 4 as a researcher. He later became a reporter for the broadcaster’s The Business Programme.
After a brief stint in Switzerland to present the European Business Channel, Mr Murnaghan returned to Britain to host the business segments on The Channel 4 Daily, a new breakfast show by Channel 4.
He then made the move to ITV in the early 1990s, where in 1997 he broke the news of the death of Princess Diana.
The veteran journalist switched broadcasters again in the early 2000s, joining BBC Breakfast as one of the lead presenters from 2002 to 2007.
Dermot formed a very popular partnership with Natasha Kaplinsky.
He was also a regular fixture on the six o’clock and ten o’clock news.
He moved to Sky News in October 2007, where he has remained until his final show almost 16 years later.
Murnaghan still presents true crime documentary series Killer Britain and the podcast Legends Of News.
