Richard Madeley has candidly discussed his health struggles linked to a 20-year habit, confessing it puts him at increased risk of cancer.
The Good Morning Britain host, 68, became a smoker despite his father dying from a smoking-related illness at the tender age of 49 – when Richard was just 21.
He tried and failed to quit numerous times, but it was an impactful interview that finally helped him break free from cigarettes.
The former Richard and Judy presenter found the resolve to quit after talking to John Diamond, journalist and first husband of Nigella Lawson, who tragically suffered from terminal throat cancer caused by smoking.
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Richard was “so shaken” by the discussion that he swore off cigarettes completely.
Despite having given up smoking many years ago at 40, the aftermath of the habit persists. Richard admits that he has a lasting weakened respiratory system and a higher cancer risk than people who have never smoked. In his column for the Daily Express, Madeley wrote about his personal journey.
He explained: “Cigarettes killed my father at 49 (I was 21 when he died). Yet still I continued to smoke, despite numerous attempts to give up.
“I finally managed to stop aged 40, after interviewing John Diamond, Nigella Lawson‘s first husband, who was dying (horribly) from smoking-induced throat cancer. I was so shaken by the encounter I never touched a cigarette again.
“Even so, I’ve been left with a permanently impaired respiratory system and my cancer risk will never return completely to normal.”
Richard also says that he’d have loved to have access in his youth to Varenicline, a drug now to be made available on the NHS to help people stop smoking.
He said: “If you’d offered me varenicline when I was 21, I would have bitten your arm off.”
The pill, which curbs nicotine cravings and blocks its effects on the brain, has been hailed as a “game-changer” by NHS chiefs.
NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard said: “This simple daily pill could be a game-changer for people who want to quit smoking and is another vital step in shifting our NHS further towards prevention.
“Smoking remains one of the biggest public health issues facing the NHS and has devastating impacts on the body – from the lungs, to the heart, blood and brain, while also increasing risk of cancer, diabetes and stroke.”
Health secretary Wes Streeting believes the pill could “save the NHS millions”. He suggests it will also free up crucial appointments within the NHS.
According to NHS data, 408,700 individuals were hospitalised due to smoking-related conditions in 2023, marking a five percent increase from the previous year.
Anyone seeking advice on how to quit smoking should visit the NHS Better Health website.