Capital Breakfast star Chris Stark has shared how he’s doing after an admittedly ‘crap’ year in which he was diagnosed with testicular cancer during a routine GP appointment
Radio star Chris Stark has candidly opened up on the ‘weird’ unexpected phase he has experienced after undergoing chemotherapy treatment and operations for cancer.
Capital Breakfast star Chris, 38, revealed in March this year that he had been diagnosed and treated for testicular cancer – but insisted in the heartfelt statement he is “effectively cured” after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy. Chris was flooded with support and praise from friends and fans following his candid health announcement.
Now, weeks after sharing the news, Chris has shared an update on his health and revealed the ‘weird’ phase he unexpectedly found himself in after being given the all clear. When asked by the Mirror how he’s doing, Chris revealed to us at the Pro Am Padel Tour launch: “I thought I was doing OK until I came here and played a bit of Padel.
“I feel like… I’m sure people who have had an experience with cancer or chemotherapy or just being unwell at some point this year – it’s really hard because you get into the summer months and suddenly… I’m sort of looking at myself and feeling so unfit and I feel like that’s a really frustrating feeling and I work in a job where, you know, you see a lot of pictures of yourself and videos of yourself and I feel… you know.
“I’m just really pleased that this thing was found and I had the surgery but there’s a weird, kind of, after thing in this that I hadn’t really thought about, which is I just want to feel a little better about myself.
“And I’m really lucky because I go into a job where I work with lovely people who, and I really feel like, they have been amazing throughout this but I really want to, as I say, I want to find some stuff this year to kind of just make myself feel a little bit better and that’s kind of why I came here today.
“Everything about this – although it seems probably simple and easy to anyone else – I just wanna start doing some stuff that will make me feel a bit fitter, show that you can do something like that and challenge myself a little bit more. So I’m playing cr*p and I feel desperately sweaty, like we’re sat down now as we do this, but I feel good for turning up today.”
That Peter Crouch Podcast star Chris has played a few games of the increasingly popular sport of padel, before taking part in the event. But, has admitted his interest in the sport has sparked a rivalry between himself and his Capital Breakfast co-host, Jordan North.
He tells us: “I started padel and he [Jordan] started getting involved and I noticed a bit of a trend where he keeps copying me with things I’m sort of into and then I got called up to do this and he, I think, is quite annoyed that he didn’t get called up to do it and it’s led to a bit of tension at work.
“It’s kind of under lying, which one of us is going to end up on top on the padel game – we’re like two rivals at the moment. And then maybe, one day, there will be this glorious moment where we end up together but, right now – I get on really well with Jordan – but this is the one thing that we seem to be falling out on and it’s spilling out onto the show a little bit,“ he joked.
While Chris insists Jordan is the one who copied him with his interest in the sport, Chris is happy to return the favour by following in Jordan’s footsteps and heading into the I’m A Celeb jungle.
When asked if he’d do the ITV show, Chris says: “I love I’m A Celebrity, it’s the biggest show isn’t it? He [Jordan] had a really weird time because, obviously, he did it when it was in the castle so I don’t know if it’d be a totally different proposition doing the jungle.
“But, yeah, who doesn’t want to do that show it’d be terrifying. But then I feel like I’ve kind of had a year of doing things that… I had a really crappy start to the year with my health and that’s where you actually get a little bit scared and, I think, it kind of gives you a little bit of perspective with how ridiculous and fun can your job be where you go and do something like that. I kind of like the idea of taking on a few challenges and, maybe, this has kind of reset my brain a bit to kind of give things a go. I don’t know I think it’d be an amazing thing to go down.”
The Pro Am Padel Tour continues in July, September, and October. Follow @proampadeltour for more updates.