Heartbreaking update over James Whale, radio and CBB star loved by listeners to Lancashire's Red Rose Radio

James Whale pioneered the late-night radio phone-in during the 1970s, rising to fame with The James Whale Radio Show, which was simulcast on Radio Aire and Red Rose Radio in the late 80’s. On the show, he was known for disagreeing with callers, often arguing with them and cutting them off.

He then spent 13 years at TalkSport before hosting the drivetime show on LBC and the breakfast show on BBC Essex. In 2016, he starred in Celebrity Big Brother, losing out to eventual winner, Stephen Bear.

In 2000 he was diagnosed with kidney cancer and in 2006, he launched the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer to fund research and raise awareness of the disease. The fund became Kidney Cancer UK in 2016. In August 2020, Whale revealed that his cancer had spread to his spine, brain and lungs.

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This Christmas his health has taken a further turn for the worst, with him spending Christmas Day in Intensive Care, and commenting that it could be his last. He was admitted to hospital suffering with flu symptoms over Christmas and returned home on December 30, only to be back the following day. After spending New Year's Eve in A&E with him, wife Nadine wrote on X: "Well he decided that Christmas Day in ICU wasn’t quite enough of a treat and so James Whale thought that NYE in A&E with some blue lights thrown in for good measure might be fun. He sure knows how to show a girl a good time. Hopefully home again tomorrow."

In an interview with TalkTV before his latest admission, he said: "If I have a few more months, that'd be great. If I have until next Christmas or this coming Christmas, that'd be nice, wouldn't it... but if I die tomorrow, I've had an amazing time and married an amazing lady."