BBC Radio presenter Trevor Nelson has shared that he’s been diagnosed with a brain tumour after taking a step back from work.
The broadcaster and DJ, 62, said in an Instagram video that his “world was turned upside down” when he received the news and that he has been taking time off work to recover.
“A lot of you may have seen the post that I put up at the start of summer, saying that I was stepping back from all my work commitments due to illness,” he said on Thursday (20 August). “There’s been a lot of speculation as to what’s wrong with me, I know that much. My phone’s blown up 20 times over with people asking what’s wrong with me.”
He added that while he didn’t want to go into too much detail, he was “minding my own business and then it was discovered that I had a brain tumour”.
“As you can imagine, I was shocked. In fact, my world was turned upside down,” he said, before explaining that he decided to stop work as he “couldn’t be that guy on the radio knowing I had that going on”.
“A few weeks later, I had a very serious surgery. Thankfully, it went incredibly well and the last month, I’ve been at home, recuperating, recovering and resting and getting some post-op treatment as well.”
The dad-of-two said that despite the recent treatment, he feels “great right now” and ready to return to work. “I feel energised and almost back to myself,” he said. “I’ve had a really serious situation but I’ve come out the other side and I feel great. I feel raring to go. I feel in good health.”
A number of Nelson’s current and former BBC colleagues sent well wishes in the comments, with Zoe Ball writing: “So good to see your face Trevor and learn that you're doing well. Huge healing love to you wonderful man.”
Fearne Cotton added: “We love you Trev. So happy you’re recovering well,” while Radio 1’s Melvin Odoom said: “Sending love uncle Trev and looking forward to hearing you on the airwaves soon.”
The official account for BBC Radio 2 said that its team was sending “so much love”, adding: “Can’t wait to have you back.”
In June, Nelson announced that he would be taking a break from work commitments while dealing with “health issues”, stepping down from his BBC Radio slots.
He usually hosts weekday shows from 2pm until 4pm on BBC Radio 2, and the late morning slot on BBC Radio 1Extra every Sunday.
Born in Hackney, London, Nelson was a club promotions manager before breaking out on the radio scene – joining Kiss FM when it was still a pirate radio station in the Eighties. He later moved to BBC Radio 1, having stayed with the corporation for the last 30 years.
Outside of radio, he was a judge on BBC celebrity singing contest Just the Two of Us in 2006 and on the Channel 4 show Chancers two years before. Nelson was also a commentator during coverage of the 2012 Summer Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, which were held in London.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2002 for his contribution to the Millennium Volunteers programme, a youth volunteering initiative aimed at young people aged 14 to 25.
Nelson, who has a son with his wife and a daughter from a previous relationship, said that he would be returning to work “very soon” in the caption of his Instagram post.
“To radio first and later to my DJ gigs,” he said. “Thank you for all your messages, your love and your support.”
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