BBC Countryfile legend Adam Henson tells of elation after cancer test results

Countryfile presenter Adam Henson has just checked his blood test results on the NHS app. The 59-year-old broadcaster and farmer, who manages a 650-hectare Cotswolds farm, recently booked himself in for a ‘Well Man’ check at his local GPs surgery.

“Farmers are terrible at looking after themselves,” he admits with a shrug. “They’re so busy looking after sick cows or sheep, or crops that are struggling, so their own health is way down the list – they’re just too busy or they forget. Lunch is a white bread ham sandwich and a can of Red Bull on the go. Many just have that male mindset of not making a fuss, wearing it like a badge of honour.”

But Adam had a special reason to keep an eye on his PSA – prostate-specific antigen, which is a marker of the cancer – his uncle, TV and film actor Nicky Henson, best known for roles in EastEnders, Coronation Street and Downton Abbey, as well as ‘The Psychiatrist’ in Fawlty Towers, lost his life to the disease in 2019 aged 74. Thankfully, Adam’s result has come back clear to his obvious relief.

“I hadn’t exactly been having sleepless nights, but I did feel elated when the results came back clear,” admits the father-of-two. And no wonder. The disease is now England’s most common cancer – with a 25% increase in cases between 2019 and 2023 – and, currently, one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the UK.

The risks are even higher if you are over 50, have a family history of the disease, or you’re black. For the latter, the risk of developing the disease doubles to one in four. NHS data shows the number of prostate cancer diagnoses has been higher than breast cancer for two years in a row following a surge in cases post-pandemic.

Adam is speaking to the Daily Express on behalf of Prostate Cancer UK ahead of Men’s Health Week which starts today and ends on Father’s Day this Sunday.

“My Uncle Nicky was incredibly brave and upbeat about the way he dealt with his cancer. He was pragmatic about the treatments and suffering he endured,” he says. “Whenever I saw Nicky he was always great company, entertaining us with his showbusiness stories. He didn’t talk about his illness. He lived with cancer for nearly 20 years and carried on working through most of it.”

Nicky was first hit with bowel cancer in 2003. Surgeons took out half of his colon and a third of his stomach as they tried to rid his body of the tumour attached to his organs. The operation was a success but, a few years later, like many older men, Nicky was diagnosed with prostate cancer after a routine test.

During an interview in 2019, he revealed: “I had radiation for it and then developed really bad kidney stones so I kept on having operations for that. I had something like 21 medical procedures over 12 months. Eventually my urethra was worn out so I have a stent now, which has to be replaced every five to six months.”

Throughout all of this, Adam says his uncle, who had two grown-up sons with his first wife, the actress Una Stubbs, always remained hugely positive. However, when Adam visited him in a hospice in his final months he was very frustrated.

“He was only 74 and still wanted to work, he was a brilliant actor, he still wanted to be doing voiceovers, seeing his mates, riding his motorbike, or just going down the pub,” says Adam. “I kept saying, ‘Why don’t you go and play draughts in the lounge with some of the other patients?’ But they were in their 80s and 90s and he felt he was still young.

“He was very much young in heart and mind still but, physically, he wasn’t anymore and would fall over. When he died, a huge funeral was held in London. There were lots of celebrities. I remember Joanna Lumley saying how wonderful he was.” Nicky’s coffin was even brought to the church in a motorbike sidecar. “He loved motorbikes,” Adam adds.

Since Nicky’s death the number of prostate cancer diagnoses has increased significantly. This is attributed to factors like increased PSA testing and an aging population. But survival rates have also improved, indicating advancements in diagnoses, treatment and management.

Chiara De Biase, director of health services at Prostate Cancer UK, says: “You don’t need a finger up the bum to check for prostate cancer. The first test is a simple blood test you can get free from your GP. Knowing your risk and finding prostate cancer early makes it easier to treat.”

During the pandemic, prostate cancer was impacted more than any other cancer. More than 14,000 men who should have been diagnosed and referred for treatment were missing from the health system. So in 2022, Prostate Cancer UK launched a national campaign with the NHS to find those 14,000 ‘missing’ men and created their online Risk Checker. Now men can check their risk in just 30 seconds online to help inform them of whether they should go for a PSA test.

With greater awareness of the disease, in part thanks to the likes of broadcaster Nick Owen, Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and the late BBC presenter Bill Turnbull opening up about their experiences, more men are coming forward for diagnosis and treatment.

In cases where prostate cancer is slow-growing, some men are better off being monitored rather than treated. And for these men, the number who are receiving radical treatments – known as ‘overtreatment’ – has remained low and stable at 8%.

The number of men receiving radical prostatectomy – where the walnut-sized gland is partially or completely removed – increased by 17% from 2022 to 2023, while the number getting radical prostate radiotherapy is also up by 23%. However, there is still no national screening programme for prostate cancer.

Ms De Biase added: “More men than ever are learning about their risk, speaking to their GP about the PSA blood test and then taking the best next steps. But at the moment, there’s no national screening programme for prostate cancer and not every man has a fair shot at getting diagnosed earlier. We face a dreadful north-south divide in the UK, where you’re more likely to get an incurable diagnosis in certain areas than others. Plus, men living in more deprived areas are less likely to get the treatments they need. Despite all this, under current outdated NHS guidelines, GPs aren’t currently allowed to raise the issue of prostate cancer and testing, even with the men who have the highest risk of getting it – we’re asking the Government to change these guidelines.”

Although GPs do not routinely offer PSA tests, men can make a specific request if they are concerned. Adam, who is married to Charlotte and has two children in their 20s, said his own son Alfie is much more aware of the importance of regular health checks and takes good care of himself. With his own health checks up to date Adam is busy with his TV work, currently talking with farmers who are passing down their farms to the younger generation and says he is impressed by their passion and enthusiasm to make a success of what can be “a very tough but rewarding life”.

As for his own farm, which includes the Cotswold Farm Park, near Cheltenham, Gloucs, founded by his father Joe in 1971, his own children are not interested in following in his footsteps.

“My dad was ahead of his time opening a farm for people to come and visit, bottle feed a lamb or hold a chick,” he says. “While I was pulling on my wellies and chasing my dad out of the door to join him on the farm, my own children aren’t interested in a career in farming. Sure they can lamb a sheep and drive a tractor but my daughter lives in Perth as an events organiser and my son is a financial adviser in Leeds. So when the tenancy runs out in 12 years time, me and Charlie are moving to a bungalow close by in Winchcombe where we have a few acres and will keep a few sheep and the dogs. It will be the end of an era but I will still be able to enjoy the lovely countryside.” * To check your risk of prostate cancer, visit prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker