Express columnist James Whale has been battling terminal stage four kidney cancer for the past four years - and he now fears the end could be near.
The radio, podcast and TV personality turned Celebrity Big Brother contestant maintained his composure as he came to terms with facing death in a gripping new interview on TalkTV. His wife Nadine was close to tears, looking at him adoringly but sadly as she revealed their planned trip to Rome might never go ahead, after a festive season full of setbacks.
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, Nadine quipped on Twitter: "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."
James appeared calm as he discussed his health status, reflecting: "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."
He also jokingly quipped: "I've had a lifetime of not having to have a job. I mean, I don't work!" James' radio career began back in the 1980s, and he went on to host a night-time show on talkSPORT between 1995 and 2008.
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Shows on LBC and various BBC stations also followed while his star continued to rise.
Despite hiccups in his career - including being suspended from talkSPORT multiple times over views he expressed - he has built up an army of devotees over the years, and has been described as a "legend of the airwaves".
Wife Nadine described his Saturday night show as his passion and his "reason for being", while he echoed that he is keen to continue doing it, despite his worsening health.
"You know how I look forward to that," he exclaimed.
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It's less clear whether he will accomplish further goals in his personal life, as Nadine explained: "[We] wanted to go to Rome [but] probably won't make that.
"I think it's sad... although you know you've got limited time, you always think you have more than you probably have."
James has had some intense and "really strange" side-effects to his treatment, including doses of steroids which left him "emotional" and "crying a lot".
However, he is determined to make the most of the time he has left.
Mike Graham hosts 'James Whale: A Lifetime Of Night-Time' at 4pm on TalkTV.
