Broadcaster James Whale has died at the age of 74 after a lengthy cancer battle.
Just hours before his death was announced, Whale’s final column was published in which he shared he was “happy to go now and feels at peace” following his move into a hospice.
The radio presenter was given his first diagnosis in 2000 and was told he had three months to live before he underwent kidney surgery.
The surgery was a success and the presenter went on to launch the James whale Fund for Kidney Cancer. Heartbreakingly, his cancer returned in 2020 and had spread to his spine, brain and lungs.
Whale’s death was announced on Talk on Monday, August 4, with colleague and friend Mike Graham paying a heartfelt tribute to Whale’s career of six decades.
“James began his remarkable career in the early 1970s when he pioneered a new kind of radio in Britain, the late night shock jock phone in,” he began.
“By the late 1980s, the James Whale radio show had become a cultural phenomenon, broadcasting every weekend on ITV. He attracted millions of viewers, making him a household name.
“James would go on to host a variety of programmes for ITV, Sky and the BBC before finding a new audience for talk radio, all the while continuing to make headlines during his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.
“In 2006, after surviving kidney cancer, James launched Kidney Cancer UK, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds. In 2024, James was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours, recognising his extraordinary contribution to broadcast and charity.
“James Whale broke the rules, he shaped the airwaves, and did it all on his own terms. For millions, James wasn’t just a broadcaster. He was a companion, a provocateur, and a good friend that we’ll all never forget. God bless you, James. We’ll miss you,” Graham signed off.
Before long, famous faces across the world of broadcasting began sharing their own tributes and memories of Whale.
GB News presenter Patrick Christys took to X with his fond memories of working with Whale. “@THEJamesWhale was a legend, a titan and a really good guy. James, thank you so much for helping me when my career was at a low ebb, and for all the phone calls offering support and advice over the years. You’ll be missed, but what a life,” he penned.
Meanwhile, Dawn Neesom shared a snap of her working alongside Whale. She wrote: “So sad to hear that James has gone.
“God bless you Whaley, at peace & free of pain… Thoughts with the amazing @nadine_lamont & James family. #JamesWhale #RIP.” (sic)
Whale is survived by his wife Nadine as well as their two sons, James and Peter.
In May, the broadcaster shared that he was no longer receiving treatment, explaining on his Talk show with Ash Gould: “I’m at the end of my cancer journey. There is no treatment I can have anymore.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to Talk to actually let me on the air and sit next to Ash, which is a real pain in the butt, but I’ve been doing it for 25 years!”
