TV presenter Dermot Murnaghan has opened up about the heart-warming phone call he received from Sir Chris Hoy after being given his own chilling cancer diagnosis. Six-time Olympic cycling champion Hoy revealed in February 2024 that he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, including chemotherapy.
In October last year, the Team GB icon announced that his condition was terminal after the cancer had spread to his bones. Doctors gave the 49-year-old Scot just two to four years to live, after which he dedicated himself to raising awareness about prostate cancer and urged others to go for early screenings. Upon learning of Hoy's heartbreaking news, former BBC and Sky News anchor Murnaghan became motivated to get himself tested. But he failed to do so, as he recently admitted in The Times: "Seeing friends, football matches, even walking the dog, simply life itself, just seemed to intervene, and anyway I felt fine, no symptoms."
Just two months after Hoy's devastating statement, while on a trip to southeast Asia with his wife, Murnaghan began feeling "weird". He struggled to get out of bed and endured excruciating pain upon landing back in the UK, leading him to rush to A&E.
Murnaghan recalled: "Five hours later my world was upended. The cancer was spreading fast, and I needed immediate surgery to keep me alive." He added: "After the numbness and shock of diagnosis, the negative thoughts come flooding in. Firstly, of course, 'How long have I got?' Then, 'Why, oh why, didn't I get that check?' hard on its heels. And perhaps the worst, 'You bloody fool, what have you done to your family?'"
He soon received a much-needed call from Hoy, who had reached out after hearing the news so soon after his own prognosis, with some comforting words. Murnaghan said: "Numb with shock, pretty much unable to speak, I found myself listening to a calm, mellifluous Scottish brogue talking me through my own identical diagnosis, based on his experience. Chris was on the phone. He called me after hearing through a mutual contact. It was a mental lifeline."
Murnaghan revealed last week that he is responding well to treatment and feeling well. Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in males in the UK, accounting for 14 per cent of all cancer deaths in men.
Speaking about his condition, which is now understood to be terminal yet treatable, Hoy told Sunday Times: "As unnatural as it feels, this is nature. You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.
"You remind yourself, aren't I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible. Hand on heart, I'm pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness. This is bigger than the Olympics. It's bigger than anything. This is about appreciating life and finding joy."
The legendary Olympian has remarkably helped bring about a 700 per cent rise in men contacting their GPs to book tests since he announced his prognosis. He and his wife Sarra were bestowed with the Freedom of the City of London for their efforts towards cancer awareness and neonatal care, in addition to Sir Chris' monumental legacy as a British track cyclist.
The couple, who have been married since 2010, attended a joint ceremony at the Lord Mayor's official residence, The Mansion House, last Thursday.
