TalkTV presenter and radio broadcaster James Whale dies aged 74

TalkTV host and veteran radio broadcaster James Whale has died at the age of 74.

The British presenter and media personality was originally diagnosed with kidney cancer over 20 years ago, undergoing surgery at the time.

However, in August 2020, he announced that his cancer had returned and spread to other parts of his body, including his spine, brain, and lungs.

Whale faced the condition for a further five years before his death.

News of his death was announced by Talk TV in a statement which read: ‘The staff, presenters and friends of Talk are devastated at the passing of Talk presenter and broadcasting titan, James Whale MBE, who has died aged 74 after a long battle with cancer.’

In an obituary read on air by colleague and friend Mike Graham, Talk paid tribute to Whale and his outstanding contribution to radio over the last six decades, and his eight years on Talk and talkRADIO. 

‘James began his remarkable career in the early 1970s when he pioneered a new kind of radio in Britain, the late night shock jock phone in. By the late 1980s, the James Whale radio show had become a cultural phenomenon, broadcasting every weekend on ITV. He attracted millions of viewers, making him a household name. 

‘James would go on to host a variety of programmes for ITV, Sky and the BBC before finding a new audience for talk radio, all the while continuing to make headlines during his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. 

‘In 2006, after surviving kidney cancer, James launched Kidney Cancer UK, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds. In 2024, James was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours, recognising his extraordinary contribution to broadcast and charity.’

He added: ‘James Whale broke the rules, he shaped the airwaves, and did it all on his own terms. For millions, James wasn’t just a broadcaster. He was a companion, a provocateur, and a good friend that we’ll all never forget. God bless you, James. We’ll miss you.’

Director of audio, news broadcasting and also a friend of Whale Jennie Morris said: ‘James was the godfather of speech radio, and there will never be another like him.’

The radio and TV host was best known for hosting The James Whale Radio Show, as well as for his work for talkSPORT and talkRADIO down the years.

Whale was born in Surrey in 1951, initially expressing an interest in archery rather than radio—his first job was as a trainee buyer at Harrods in London.

While working at the upscale department store, he was inspired to become a radio DJ, following in the footsteps of Tony Blackburn, Johnnie Walker, and David ‘Kid’ Jensen.

He began his broadcasting career in 1970, working for Radio Topshop after initially being turned down for the position, and was working for Metro Radio in the northeast by 1974.

In the 1980s, he launched a TV series, named after himself, on which comedian and writer Steve Coogan would make frequent and regular appearances.

Later in his career, Whale worked for LBC radio and Play Radio UK, before presenting on BBC Radio Berkshire, BBC Three Counties Radio, and BBC WM, as well as doing occasional stints on BBC Radio Kent.

In 2016, he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house and finished in ninth place, later making the move to talkRadio. He was briefly suspended by the station after appearing to laugh when an interviewee described how she had been sexually assaulted.

Whale had announced in spring 2024 that he didn’t expect to live much longer, admitting that he had already expected to die before receiving his MBE.

The host was awarded the MBE after being a popular voice on radio and TV since the 1970s, starting his career at the age of just 22.

Speaking after the ceremony, which saw him recognised for services to broadcasting, he told PA: ‘I didn’t think I’d be here to receive this.

‘But who knows? I’ve been terminally ill now for nearly four years. 25 years ago, I had the original cancer. So I might make the end of this year; I might not. I might be around next year.’

He continued, remaining defiant: ‘I think you’ve got to be positive. I know it’s getting a bit worse than it was. You just have to go with the flow, really. You have to do that to get through it.

‘1 in 2 of us is going to go on this journey until they find a cure. They will find a cure.’

At the time, he also gave fans hope that he might live even longer, saying he was initially told he had a year to live in 2020.

‘But you have to make the most of it,’ he added. ‘When you’re my age—and I’ve had a good life—you say maybe you have another year left. Four years ago, we thought we had months.’

Whale had revealed in 2022 that his treatment was no longer working and that he had stopped taking steroids, which made him ‘look like a balloon’.

Just before Christmas that year, he said his blood transfusions weren’t ‘doing the trick’ anymore and that he had lungs ‘full of blood clots’ as he shared pictures from hospital at the time.

Whale recorded his last-ever interview mid-July this year, after which colleagues declared him a ‘legend’ and a ‘warrior to the end’.

His interview took place with Reform leader Nigel Farage, who spoke in a garden setting.

Affectionately known as ‘Whaley,’ the broadcaster’s final interview aimed to celebrate his life and career.

Whale’s ex-wife, Melinda Maxted, also died from lung cancer in 2018. He is now survived by Nadine Talbot-Brown, whom he wed in 2021, and two sons from his first marriage, James and Peter.

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