TalkTV presenter James Whale has made a deeply emotional decision as he enters the final weeks of his battle with terminal cancer. The 73-year-old broadcaster, known for his candid and often fiery style, was given just 12 weeks to live earlier this year after his stage four kidney cancer spread to his spine, brain and lungs. Now, seven weeks later, he and his wife Nadine Lamont are limiting visits to only “very close friends and family”.
In their latest podcast episode Tales of the Whales, James opened with a grim admission: “I can’t breathe, I can’t think, I can’t talk… I have terminal five cancer.” Nadine quickly corrected him with bittersweet humour: “Stage four.” She then added, “You were told 12 weeks to live about seven weeks ago. That was the maximum. But you’ve been telling everyone it’s 12 days now, which isn’t the case.”
The couple are now focused on preserving energy and protecting James’ remaining time. “From next week, we’re restricting visitors to just very close friends and family,” Nadine confirmed. James added that he’s been feeling increasingly fatigued and forgetful, with his speech becoming slower. A tumour on his temporal lobe is believed to be affecting his memory, while swelling in his legs continues to worsen.
James was first diagnosed with kidney cancer back in 2000, undergoing surgery to remove one kidney. He chose to forgo chemotherapy at the time. However, in 2020, he revealed that the disease had returned and spread aggressively. Despite the diagnosis, he has continued to share his journey publicly, determined to face the end with the same honesty that defined his career.
