Iconic Radio 1 DJ Andy Kershaw confirms cancer diagnosis and is now "unable to walk"
"I am in good spirits, feeling very positive and planning another podcast."
Former Radio 1 DJ Andy Kershaw has revealed that he is battling cancer which is affecting his spinal column and has left him "unable to walk".
Kershaw's friend and podcast producer Peter Everett shared the news on Facebook this week, confirming that the broadcaster has been receiving treatment including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and physiotherapy.
Fans had been expressing their concern for the 66-year-old as no new episodes of his self-titled podcast had been posted for more than six months.
Everett shared a comment from Kershaw himself, who despite his diagnosis had maintained his typical sense of humour.
"I am in good spirits, feeling very positive and planning another podcast," he said.
"I am determined not to die before Benjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Ant’n’Dec. That should keep me going for a while."
Everett himself added: "My friend Andy has been going through a difficult time. Although we’ve not been able to put together any podcasts in the last six months, we are very grateful to all the patrons and supporters who have stuck with us."
Kershaw began his career in radio first, but in 1984 he enlisted as a new presenter for BBC2’s Whistle Test before getting his own show on BBC Radio 1 the following year.
He presented his own music show for 15 years, which was characterised by his boredom of Anglo-American music and had a strong African influence.
Over his broadcast journalism career he also worked for BBC Radios 3 and 4, reporting on stories from around the world, notably the Rwandan genocide, Angola's civil war in 1996, Sierra Leone in 2001 and repeatedly from Haiti.
In 2021, Kershaw launched The Andy Kershaw Podcast as a continuation of his much-loved former BBC Radio 1 show. He officially describes the premise of his podcast as "Andy Kershaw plays some bloody great records".
There are currently 37 episodes of his podcast which can be listened to on its website. The last upload was in June 2025 and whilst Kershaw and Everett have confirmed that a new episode is coming, they have not revealed when fans can expect to see it.
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Authors
Phoebe Kowhai Barnes is a Freelance Writer who covers pop culture and entertainment programmes for the Radio Times. She previously worked as the Senior Assistant Editor at The Tab where she managed its local department. She obtained a BA (Hons) in English Literature from University of Nottingham.
