BBC Radio 1 DJ Andy Kershaw announced he has cancer. The presenter, 66, has been left unable to walk after doctors discovered multiple tumours in his spine in August 2025. Speaking on his music podcast, which serves as a "reborn" version of his renowned radio show, Kershaw said: "I am in good spirits, feeling very positive and planning another podcast.

"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." Kershaw's friend, Peter Everett, said he's been facing serious health struggles since his diagnosis, revealing he has undergone treatment including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He said: "My friend Andy has been going through a difficult time. Last August he was diagnosed with cancer, mainly affecting his spine and making him unable to walk.

"Since then he has been undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, physiotherapy and a lot of scans and painkillers."

Everett added: "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 kickstarted his career at Radio Aire in Leeds when he joined as promotions manager. This role led him to form a partnership with veteran broadcaster Martin Kelner, with the pair collaborating on a variety of projects.

At Radio Aire, he helped launch Carol Vorderman's broadcasting career. His big break came in 1984, when he was asked to present BBC TV’s flagship rock programme, The Old Grey Whistle Test.

He kickstarted The Andy Kershaw Podcast, a fortnightly, independent music show, in 2021 after losing most of his work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I lost all my work overnight with lockdown in 2020," he previously told The Burnley Express. "People had been nagging me for years to do a podcast and it was always something I’d 'get round to’, so lockdown gave me the opportunity."

Whenever he ran into people, Kershaw recalled them telling him how much they missed him "playing two hours of bloody great records" on his Radio 1 and Radio 3 shows.

Kershaw enjoys the fortnightly rotation, adding: "I didn’t want to find myself on the treadmill I’d been on for 25 years on radio, having to come up with a programme every week – here there’s no pressure or deadlines."