BBC News presenter Nick Owen is battling prostate cancer

BBC News presenter Nick Owen has revealed he is battling prostate cancer.

Owen, who is best known for his time on TV-AM and BBC Midlands Today, said he had been diagnosed with the “extensive and aggressive” cancer in April, on “one of the worst” days of his life.

“I was told that it was pretty serious and had to do something about it soon.”

Taking advice from specialist doctors, Owen said he had opted for a radical prostatectomy, which involves removing the whole prostate gland.

Having left TV-am in the summer 1986, he became a presenter for ITV Sport, remaining with them until 1992, presenting Midweek Sport Special and ITV’s coverage of the 1988 Olympic Games, Euro 88 and the 1990 World Cup as well as the game show Sporting Triangles.

From 1992 to 1996 he co-presented Good Morning with Anne and Nick on BBC One, and since 1997 has been one of the main presenters on BBC Midlands Today.

Owen told the BBC “I think it’s very important to get yourself checked.”

He said he had been having PSA tests, which measure the amount of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in blood, “for many years”.

“Thank god I’d had one recently and my GP said ‘we just need to get this checked’, because if he hadn’t, that ultimately would have been curtains I suppose,” he added.

The presenter said he could not wait to return to work.