Capital Breakfast presenter Chris Stark has revealed he had an ‘out of body experience’ after being told he had testicular cancer while presenting his radio show.
Chris, 38, opened up about the difficulty of receiving his diagnosis while at work after announcing last month that he’s been undergoing preventative chemotherapy.
The presenter revealed that he had received a diagnosis during a routine doctor’s appointment a few months ago as he discussed the importance of regular self-check-ups to catch symptoms early.
Chris has now opened up on the moment his doctor called him to share the devastating news, admitting he was left ‘speechless’ and fearing how he would break the news to his wife and children.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: ‘I worried something bad is potentially happening here because why would a doctor need to phone you first thing in the morning. That never happens, right?’
Chris explained that he didn’t tell his radio co-hosts, Jordan North and Sian Welby, and instead decided to leave the studio mid-show.
‘It was such a surreal moment because I didn’t tell anyone on my team. They would have known something was up, but they knew enough that it was unusual enough not to ask questions.
‘Being in the studio after that call felt like an “out of body” situation because you suddenly start overthinking every eventuality at the same time as we’re playing Sabrina Carpenter on the radio.’
He added: ‘The studio has always been my safe space. You can leave a lot of stuff at the door – it’s like an escape, so that was a really hard one to take.’
Chris also explained his fear of having to talk to his wife Ria about the diagnosis, telling the publication: ‘I didn’t tell my wife that evening. I remember lying in bed just thinking that I wanted her to have one more night’s sleep before having to deal with whatever came next.
‘But after being told the results, I left work that day and knew I had to tell my wife – and that was potentially the hardest part of all of this.’
‘I didn’t want to frighten her first and foremost. I wanted to tell her what I had without saying “I have cancer”. It was really tough. I didn’t want her to be scared.’
The media personality, who shot to fame on BBC Radio 1, shared the news of the diagnosis in an emotional social media post.
Chris wrote: ‘It’s a tricky subject matter to talk about but I’m willing to put my now one ball on the line here if it helps make that conversation less tricky for guys and encourages someone to check themselves and potentially save a life.’
The radio star signed off his post by thanking his friends, family and co-workers for their support, as well as the medical team who have been caring for him.
He added: ‘I also want to take a moment to send my thoughts and prayers to anyone affected by cancer. Check your balls.’
Who is Chris Stark after radio presenter’s devastating cancer diagnosis?
Chris started working in radio for Radio Northwick Park when he was 16 and has worked at several other stations including Galaxy, Real Radio, Virgin Radio and BBC 6 Music.
He shot to fame after joining BBC Radio One’s Scott Mills show in 2012, leaving the broadcaster a decade later.
Since 2022, he has presented the breakfast show on Capital FM. He co-hosts the show with Sian Welby and Jordan North.
Chris is also the host on the award-winning That Peter Crouch Podcast alongside Peter and Tom Fordyce.
As well as radio, Chris has appeared on a number of TV shows, including a one-off Channel 4 documentary where he attempted to interview his ultimate bucket list of celebrities. This included Ricky Hatton, Verne Troyer, and Emma Thompson.
He’s also appeared on E4’s Virtually Famous, CBBC’s The Dog Ate My Homework, Celebrity Mastermind and a celebrity edition of Robot Wars.
Chris is married to longtime partner Ria Holland. They have a daughter, who was born in 2015. In July 2020, Chris announced on the radio show that his wife had given birth to a son.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
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