Presenter Nick Owen said it is “humbling” and “overwhelming” to speak to men who were encouraged to get tested for prostate cancer after he shared his diagnosis publicly.
Owen, who was diagnosed with the illness last year, said he was “absolutely thrilled” and “stunned” after he was made an MBE by the Princess Royal for services to broadcasting and charity at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.
Speaking after the ceremony, Owen said the response had been “absolutely phenomenal” when he announced his diagnosis and discussed his experiences on BBC Midlands Today and BBC Breakfast in August 2023.
At the time of his diagnosis, Owen said he had “no symptoms at all” and encouraged other men to get tested for the disease.
The BBC Midlands Today presenter, 76, said: “Literally thousands of people wrote and got in touch, whether it was males or wives or mothers, saying ‘you’ve finally persuaded my husband, brother, son to do something about it’, and the response was staggering.
“Only last week I met someone, it was very humbling, they said I saved his life because he went and had a PSA (prostate-specific antigen test) because of what I said on television and turned out he’d got it and he’s had an operation.
“And I’m meeting someone else in about a week’s time, similarly who says that I contributed to helping save his life because he went and has a PSA as a result of my appeal and he was diagnosed.
When asked how it felt to speak to people who say he helped save their lives, Owen said: “It’s very humbling, overwhelming, and very fulfilling.
“It’s good to say, after all we went through as a family, something good came out of it, something positive and that’s a great feeling.”
Of his diagnosis, Owen said it was a “pretty difficult time” and “frightening” but said that, as of now, his prognosis is “looking very good.”
When asked what else needs to be done to raise awareness of catching prostate cancer early and getting tested: “I’m really glad it’s so much more talked about now than it would have been a few years ago, because we men are quite reluctant to talk about private things in the way that women do – we don’t, and I hope that’s changing.”
The former chairman of Luton Town Football Club is also known for his broadcasting collaboration with journalist Anne Diamond – along with their stint on TV-am, they had their own current affairs morning programme on the BBC in the 1990s, Good Morning With Anne And Nick.
Owen continued to say he was “very grateful” for his 46-year-long career in television.
He added: “You get to interview so many people – I think I’ve interviewed seven or eight prime ministers now as well as top showbiz stars from around the world and sports stars and so on.
“I’m just grateful for so many different aspects of my life, the great variety, the opportunities and the people I’ve met and the events I’ve been to.
“I think I’m a lucky boy.”
In addition to his work with charity Prostate Cancer UK, Owen is a patron of the charity Baby Lifeline, which aims to enhance safe care for pregnant people and newborn babies, and has been a supporter of bereavement charity Edward’s Trust for more than 30 years.
