Ben Thompson and Luxmy Gopal hosted BBC Breakfast on Bank Holiday Monday.
BBC Breakfast: Ben reveals John Wilkins is suffering from cancer
Ben Thompson announced that one of Monday’s BBC Breakfast guests was battling cancer and was undergoing treatment. Towards the end of the show, Ben and Luxmy Gopal spoke with postman John Wilkins about the BBC’s Make a Difference Awards, which recognises people who make life better for others.
The presenting duo welcomed John, who was one of the award nominees. However, during the segment, Ben took a moment to announce that John was not only a pillar to his community but also battling leukaemia.
“I have always been a busy person,” John said before adding. “I would never be a sprinter, I just keep going.”
Ben asked: “John, am I right in saying you’re waiting for medical treatment?”
“I do, yeah, I have been diagnosed with leukaemia,” John replied.
John is battling cancer (Image: BBC)
John has been nominated for a BBC award (Image: BBC)
“You’re doing all of this,” Ben interrupted. You’re doing all of this extra stuff, looking after these other people, and you’re still waiting for treatment yourself.
“When are you having that? Do you know yet?”
“I have platelet transfusions regularly, but I need to have a bone marrow transplant and stem cells,” John shared.
“And for that, you need to have a perfect match, and at the moment, they haven’t been able to find a perfect match.”
Ben Thompson and Luxmy Gopal (Image: BBC)
John explained the best match they had found was somebody who lives in Japan.
“A long way away,” Ben noted before praising John: “You are brilliant.”
John has been nominated in the Great Neighbour Category. On the moment he found out, he said, “I was totally shocked.
“All I do is be my normal person on my delivery, and I help people all the time. From feeding the dogs to changing a light bulb.”
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