BBC TV presenter Nick Owen said returning to screens on Monday after surgery for aggressive prostate cancer will be “a milestone”.
The long-running broadcaster he was told he had the disease in April on “one of the worst” days of his life.
The Midlands Today presenter, 75, said he was feeling “really good” after a “turbulent” time.
“I’m still a little fragile, but a lot better than I’ve been in the last few months,” he said.
“So this is a historic moment for me.”
‘Tense Time’
Owen, who celebrates 50 years on the air in November, will return to the sofa one day a week initially as he continues to recover.
Having presented the regional news program since 1997, he said returning to the air after an extended break would feel “quite strange”.
“I’m a bit apprehensive, but once I’ve done the first one it’s like the old man picking up your bike again, it should be fine. But it’s a bit daunting, thinking about it,” he added.
“I think my heart will be beating a little faster than usual.”
He is waiting for the results of his first PSA test from the operation, which he hopes will give him the all clear.
“It’s a bit of a tense time waiting to hear,” he said.
Owen was thrilled to learn that thousands of men had contacted a prostate cancer charity after he spoke publicly about his diagnosis.
“I’m really excited about it and really excited,” he said.
Owen is widely known for his television work, including co-presenting BBC One’s Good Morning with Anne and Nick with Anne Diamond in the 1990s.
He previously thanked the public for the “amazing response” after speaking publicly about his illness in Augusthe also appears on BBC Breakfast to urge more men to take part in prostate cancer tests.
“It was a massive release to be able to tell everyone what was going on so I didn’t have to keep it to myself anymore,” she said.
Prostate Cancer UK said the broadcaster’s revelation had had a considerable impact, with Google searches for the disease increasing by 254% in the next 48 hours.
It also increased the number of contacts made with specialist nurses, the charity added.
“If it’s done well and it looks like it has, I’m absolutely thrilled. That was the purpose of telling the world,” he said.
The former Luton Town FC chairman, who lives with his wife Vicki in Kinver, Staffordshire, said the support from family, friends and colleagues since his diagnosis had been “so encouraging”.
“It’s very significant because your body and your mind take a big hit when you go through something like this,” he says.
“Now I know first hand how incredibly debilitating and demoralizing and reduced and how vulnerable you feel.
“These past few months have really been incredibly hard and challenging, but I’ve learned so much about the kindness of people and how people care and are there to support you.”
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