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A BBC presenter has been left in tears on air after a touching message from his son was read out to him a year after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Former Good Morning Britain presenter Nick Owen has become a familiar face on BBC Midlands Today over the past25 years.
However, in April last year the 76-year-old announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, saying a few months later his cancer was ‘aggressive’ and ‘extensive’.
On Friday, it was announced that Nick was being honoured for his services to charity and broadcasting with a MBE award in the King’s Birthday Honours , but he was left in tears this week when speaking about the accolade.
Hundreds of congratulatory messages were posted on social media after the news was announced, with some of them read out on Monday evening’s episode of his show.
During the segment, correspondent Ben Godfrey surprised his colleague with a final message from Tim Owen.
BBC presenter Nick Owen has broken down in tears live on air (Picture: BBC Stoke & Staffordshire)
He was diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ prostate cancer last year (Picture: BBC Stoke & Staffordshire)
‘Very proud of you dad,’ it read.
Nick instantly broke down in tears hearing what his son had sent, saying: ‘My Tim…oh bless you.’
After being given a moment, the Ben then leaned over to Nick and said: ‘Congratulations, we are all so proud of you as well.’
Nick then thanked those who had offered their support to him over the past year.
‘And I do want to thank everyone who’s been in touch, you know, and so supportive,’ he said.
‘And I’m so grateful that people have responded to the message in the first place about prostate cancer because that’s such an important thing.
Nick presented Good Morning Britain with Anne Diamond from 1983 until 1986 (Picture: TV Times via Getty Images)
‘People are talking about it far more now. Not just because of me, but various people have been in the same situation.’
After 50 years working in broadcasting, Nick described opening the letter confirming his MBE as a ‘real wow moment’.
‘I’m absolutely delighted and I feel very honoured, I still can’t quite get my head around it,’ he told the BBC last week.
Nick previously said finding out he had cancer was ‘one of the worst’ days of his life.
He temporarily stepped away from the studio to focus on his health and get treatment, eventually returning to his show in September.
He has fronted BBC Midlands Today since 1997 and was last week awarded an MBE (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
At the time the presenter feeling ‘pretty good’ following a ‘turbulent’ few months.
Having hosted the regional news programme since 1997, Nick said going back on air after an extended break did feel ‘quite strange’.
After speaking publicly about his illness in August 2023, Nick also appeared on BBC Breakfast to urge more men to take part in prostate cancer screenings, which sparked an ‘astonishing response’ that left him ‘thrilled and moved’.
Prostate Cancer UK said sharing his diagnosis had made a sizeable impact, with Google searches for the condition increasing 254 per cent in the following 48 hours.
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