Jamie Theakston Turns to Voice Therapist Following Cancer Diagnosis to Regain His Voice

It appears the universe has handed Jamie Theakston an unexpected plot twist. After receiving a shocking diagnosis of stage one laryngeal cancer, the Heart Breakfast host, a sprightly 53, has turned to a speech therapist to help him reclaim his vocal prowess. Who knew that the path to stardom could be so fraught with peril? But the prognosis? It's "very positive," which sounds like the kind of good news we could all do with a little more of these days.

Now, if we could solve the great mystery of life’s timing—like how Jamie is hoping to be back in the hosting seat by October. Yet, as fate would have it, this past Monday, he might just need a bit more “me time” before leaping back into the limelight. Amanda Holden, the ever-energetic judge from *Britain’s Got Talent*, filled Susanna Reid and Ed Balls in on Jamie’s progress while they were all cozied up on *Good Morning Britain*. She explained that Jamie is hard at work with his speech therapist, hoping to “get his voice back” and, if the stars align, make a triumphant return by November 2024.

In a delightful twist, Amanda was on the show to promote her Big Ride to Work challenge, in which she plans to cycle all the way from her mother’s house in Cornwall to the Heart Studios in London in just over five days. (Talk about putting your pedal to the metal!) During this journey, she didn’t forget to reassure the viewers: “The good news is it was stage one and he’s going to be absolutely fine.” Yet, she candidly added, “I think the biggest challenge he faces now is getting that voice back.” Sounds like it might be a bit of a melodious odyssey for Jamie.

In a heartfelt update that elicited both gasps and smiles, Jamie took to Instagram on September 17 to share his diagnosis with his 92.7k followers. At that moment, he was in recovery after having a lesion removed from his vocal cords—news that was later revealed to be stage one laryngeal cancer. As advice from the medical experts goes, he was told to “give his voice a rest.” Hence, like a shy debutante retreating to the shadows, he took a break from his presenting role at Heart FM and faded slightly from the dazzling spotlight.

However, in a sweet return to the digital world earlier this month, Jamie showed support for the late Kris Hallenga, whose inspiring life post-cancer diagnosis was celebrated in a posthumous BBC documentary titled *Living Every Second*. This talented woman, who fought valiantly against stage four breast cancer, sadly left us too soon at the tender age of 38.

Before diving into this unexpected detour, Jamie had already been experiencing some vocal hiccups on-air, with astute listeners picking up on the first signs of something amiss—peculiar changes in his voice, dysphagia for those playing along at home, and the dreaded long-lasting cough that neither of us wants to hear. As the NHS kindly points out, all these can be subtle indicators of laryngeal cancer. It's safe to say that Jamie’s journey, filled with both disruption and hope, is a poignant reminder that sometimes the universe has plans that are utterly unexpected, and that even the most articulate among us can face challenges we never saw coming.