James Whale's wife makes heartbreaking request as star 'doesn't have long left'

TalkTV presenter James Whale's wife has issued a heartbreaking request now that the star "doesn't have long left" as he continues his battle with terminal cancer. On Tuesday (July 8), the broadcaster returned for his weekly radio show where he updated fans about his health and wellbeing.

He was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer in 2019, and he told his fans in May that he had stopped treatment and was "at the end of his cancer journey". In a new update, his wife Nadine Lamont-Brown shared one of her biggest pet peeves with James' visitors. He told visitors: "Please don't tell the carer on the way out, 'Oh, he looks good, doesn't he?' because if you are at my stage, you are dying and there is absolutely no cure."

His wife agreed: "No, I think what a lot of people say is: 'Oh he looks a lot better than I thought he was going to' which, I mean, I don't really know what to say to that. Good? I'm glad you weren't disappointed? I'm not quite sure, it's an awkward one."

James went on to share some advice to people who are battling terminal illnesses and are looking for ways to turn away unwanted visitors. The broadcaster shared: "I do like having visitors because it takes your mind off what you're going through when you go and talk to a friend. But you guys, be choosey.

"If you don't particularly like someone and they never realised, you don't have to be completely outright rude but just say: 'No I don't feel up for having a visitor' from that person if you don't want them which I think is perfectly acceptable.

His wife quickly followed his complaint by reassuring visitors who had been turned away that he has been poorly this week and turned friends away out of necessity.

She insisted: "If anyone has rung James this week and he said 'Please don't come and visit me' that doesn't mean he doesn't like you, he actually has had a few days where he was feeling genuinely poorly.

It comes after James shared a heartfelt update to his grandson on his birthday while he is serving in the Royal Marines. He began: "I'm not terribly well in the final stages of cancer, but I just want to tell my grandson how proud I am of him.

"He's a royal marine and he's been a royal marine for over six months, nearly a year now, he's got through all his training, and I am so, so proud, you have no idea. It's alright, I'm an old git, [I'm] 74. I'm still on the TV and radio but not for much longer. I love you all guys."

James was diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and had one of his kidneys removed as part of the treatment. In a sad twist, his first wife, Melinda Maxted, died of lung cancer in 2018.

He recently appeared on TalkTV from the studio alongside Ash Gould as he said: "I'm at the end of my cancer journey. There is no treatment I can have anymore.

"I'm hoping to go on for another few months, but as soon as I can't do the show anymore, I won't. 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."