Richard Madeley Reveals Cancer Scare: Former ‘This Morning' Presenter Battled Pneumonia For Six Months | HuffPost

Richard Reveals Cancer Scare

The Huffington Post UK

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Richard Madeley has opened up about his secret health battle, revealing that a cancer scare left him fighting pneumonia for six months.

The former ‘This Morning’ presenter was left stunned when he fell seriously ill in 2013 and immediately feared that the cause could be cancerous tumours.

Richard Madeley

“I’m very lucky in that I’ve been very healthy all my life,” he explains to The Mirror. “Every morning I’ve woken up feeling as I did aged 20. But last autumn I woke up feeling absolutely terrible.

"I was afflicted for about 24 hours at a time with a really unpleasant flu-like illness – aching, throbbing, lights before my eyes.

“At Christmas I realised I had to get it checked out. They did some blood tests but still couldn’t figure it out and thought I might have some primary tumours causing my immune system to break down.”

Thankfully, tests revealed it wasn’t cancer, however Richard still had a battle on his hands.

“So I then had a full body scan which, though nerve-racking, showed I had no tumours,” he continues. “What it did find was a little bit of fluid on the lung.

“I saw a consultant and it turns out I’d had low-level pneumonia for about six months which kept coming back. In the end I saw it off.”

Richard and his wife Judy currently focus on running the ‘Richard And Judy Book Club' and he also recently released another novel of his own.

During a recent chat with Huff Post UK, he revealed how he combats loneliness during the writing process.

“I understand what people mean by the loneliness,” he admitted. “I don’t experience it. I found that my characters keep me company. Writing can be semi-automatic. Characters appear out of nowhere and take on a life of their own.”

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan

Romantic Novelists' Association Awards - London(01 of25)

Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley attend the Romantic Novelists' Association Awards at the RAF Club, London. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday February 26, 2013. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire (credit:PA)

Romantic Novelists' Association Awards - London(02 of25)

Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley attend the Romantic Novelists' Association Awards at the RAF Club, London. (credit:PA)

Richard and Judy's Book Club launch - London(03 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan during a photocall for Richard and Judy's Book Club launch, at St Pancras Station in central London. (credit:PA)

Richard and Judy's Book Club launch - London(04 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan during a photocall for Richard and Judy's Book Club launch, at St Pancras Station in central London. (credit:PA)

Richard and Judy bookclub(05 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan celebrate the 1st birthday of their book club, at the Haymarket Hotel in London. (credit:PA)

Richard and Judy bookclub(06 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan celebrate the 1st birthday of their book club, at the Haymarket Hotel in London. (credit:PA)

Spring Book Club launch - London(07 of25)

Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley unveil the eight new titles of their Spring Book Club, exclusively with WHSmith at the Soho Hotel in London. (credit:PA)

Spring Book Club launch - London(08 of25)

Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley with author Rosamund Lupton (centre) unveil the eight new titles of their Spring Book Club, exclusively with WHSmith at the Soho Hotel in London. (credit:PA)

Richard and Judy's Book Club launch - London(09 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan during a photocall for Richard and Judy's Book Club launch, at St Pancras Station in central London. (credit:PA)

Richard And Judy Reveal Book Club Titles - Photocall(10 of25)

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley unveil eight new titles for their Spring Book Club at the Soho Hotel on January 5, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)

Richard and Judy's Book Club launch - London(11 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan during a photocall for Richard and Judy's Book Club launch, at St Pancras Station in central London. (credit:PA)

Tony Blair - Granada TV's Richard and Judy Show - London(12 of25)

Labour leader Tony Blair joins Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan on Granada TV's Richard and Judy Show, in London today (Thursday). (credit:PA)

TV Awards(13 of25)

Good Morning tv presenters Judy Finnigan and Richard Madeley with their National Television Award at The Royal Albert Hall in London. (credit:PA)

Breathing Life Awards 2005 - Royal Lancaster Hotel(14 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. (credit:PA)

Harry Potter Premiere(15 of25)

TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan arrive for world premiere of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with their children Jack and Chloe at the Odeon Leicester Square in London. (credit:PA)

SHOWBIZ MORE4(16 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan arrives for the More4 launch party at the Shunt Vaults. (credit:PA)

The National Television Awards 2004(17 of25)

TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan arrive for the 10th Anniversary National Television Awards 2004 held at the Royal Albert Hall in London. (credit:PA)

Galaxy British Book Awards 2009(18 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan arrive for the Galaxy British Book Awards 2009 at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, central London. (credit:PA)

Art Garfunkel in concert(19 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan relax before the Art Garfunkel performs a concert on the lake of Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath, North London. (credit:PA)

Richard and Judy - Women in Film and Television Awards(20 of25)

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan arrive for the Women In Film and Television Awards, held at the London Hilton, Park Lane, central London. (credit:PA)

JK Rowling on Richard & Judy show(21 of25)

Author JK Rowling (right) gives a rare live interview on the Richard (Madeley) and Judy (Finnigan) Programme on Channel 4, at the Cactus TV studios in south London. (credit:PA)

JK Rowling on Richard & Judy show(22 of25)

Author JK Rowling (left) gives a rare live interview on the Richard (Madeley) and Judy (Finnigan) Programme on Channel 4, at the Cactus TV studios in south London. (credit:PA)

Richard and Judy Vodofone Simply Launch(23 of25)

Television hosts Richard Madeley and Judy Finigan launch a new mobile phone by Vodafone aimed at people who don't need any extras on their phone. Vodafone's new model is pitched at customers aged 35 and above who are confused by the array of functions available on other models. Designed for users who solely want to make phone calls and send text messages, the Vodafone Simply offers only the most basic features. (credit:PA)

Pioneer British Academy Television Awards - Theatre Royal(24 of25)

TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. (credit:PA)

The Nutcracker - St Martin's Lane Hotel(25 of25)

Richard and Judy. (credit:PA)

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