Below Deck Down Under star Jason Chambers has opened up on his skin cancer diagnosis.
The reality star, 52, shared the health update with his fans alongside a stern warning to others. The ship captain admitted having spent years not using sunscreen and said: “Update on the biopsy I had. It came back with melanoma. I’m in Australia. That was done in Bali.
“The Australian doctors, which are fantastic in Australia, they weren’t happy with what the indications told them to go to the stage two which would be to cut out a bigger section and test the glands.
“Look Australia, two out of three people suffer from melanoma. It’s a big thing. I never used to wear sunscreen when I was on the boat.
“I used to put zinc on my nose, the reason being the chemicals. But there’s so many products out there that are chemical-free now, which is great.
“For someone that spent their life in the sun, as a child playing sport to working on the ocean, I thought I was resistant to the damaging effects of the sun.”
He continued: “I love the sun and its health benefits are evident, but be wise and like everything in life, it’s all about balance, choose your battles.
“With a diagnosed melanoma biopsy, I now have an anxious wait and what I thought was a skin spot turned in just 6 months, early detection is the key.”
According to the NHS, melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body.
The main cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.
It is possible to prevent skin cancer by being cautious in the sun for example, using suncreen and continuously reapplying. Jason joined the Below Deck cast in 2022. The series follows the crew of a super yacht as they work and reside aboard while catering to guests.
In 2023, Jason opened up about sexual misconduct on the set of the Australian reality show. He thanked the production team for “breaking the fourth wall” and intervening during two incidents that occurred on the latest series.
After Captain Chambers learned about the unsettling incident, he called an emergency meeting to discipline the employees in question before terminating their contracts on the Northern Sun.
In his social media post, Jason wrote: “I applaud the production team and crew, and I sincerely hope that all parties involved use this time to reflect and use this opportunity to not only change, but help others.
“Everyone has the chance in life to grow, learn from experiences either good or bad and become the best humans. Respect Boundaries.”
The Macmillan Support Line offers confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. If you need to talk, call us on 0808 808 0000.
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