Noddy Holder has revealed why he decided to keep his throat cancer battle a secret as he gave his first TV interview about his diagnosis.

The Slade star, 77, appeared on Wednesday’s Jeremy Vine On 5 with his wife Suzan Price, who is a regular panelist on the show, to discuss his diagnosis and treatment.

After sharing his five-year cancer battle last week, Noddy told how he wanted to keep the news private because his ‘resistance’ was very low after his treatments and he didn’t want the ‘attention’.

He explained: ‘I wanted to keep it quiet because while I was going through the treatment and getting fit again – your resistance is low, really low after the treatment.

‘I didn’t want to be getting calls from the media every five minutes, or people I haven’t seen for 25 years. I didn’t want the attention, I wanted to deal with it in my own way.’

Update: Noddy Holder has revealed why he decided to keep his throat cancer battle a secret as he gave his first TV interview about his diagnosis

Update: Noddy Holder has revealed why he decided to keep his throat cancer battle a secret as he gave his first TV interview about his diagnosis

Update: Noddy Holder has revealed why he decided to keep his throat cancer battle a secret as he gave his first TV interview about his diagnosis

Noddy’s wife Suzan, 57, also admitted it is ‘incredible’ he is still here five years after his diagnosis after he was only given six months to live by doctors.

She said: ‘Anyone will know who’s been through a cancer diagnosis, there are lots of moments in small windowless rooms of people shaking their heads going ‘I’m really sorry, but there’s nothing’, and that’s what we were told.

‘So for him to be here now five years later is incredible. It’s not where we thought we were going to be, but it’s brilliant.’

The Merry Xmas Everybody singer also reflected on the moment he was given the grave prognosis and was told his only other option was a new chemotherapy trial.

He said: ‘I went to the Christie hospital in Manchester, and I said ‘Is it six months? Is that the end of the line?”

Noddy told how after a brief moment of indecision, which frightened Suzan ‘to death’, he agreed to go ahead with the chemotherapy trial. 

He recalled: ‘I said “what choice have I got really? It’s six months or a trial”. And I tried it, it was hard-going, very hard-going, but five years later I’m still standing.’

While Suzan added: ‘And thank goodness he did. It’s a targeted chemotherapy now, they are able to do that and every single person reacts differently.’

Health: The Slade star, 77, appeared on Wednesday's Jeremy Vine On 5 with his wife Suzan Price, who is a regular panelist on the show, to discuss his diagnosis and treatment

Health: The Slade star, 77, appeared on Wednesday's Jeremy Vine On 5 with his wife Suzan Price, who is a regular panelist on the show, to discuss his diagnosis and treatment

Health: The Slade star, 77, appeared on Wednesday’s Jeremy Vine On 5 with his wife Suzan Price, who is a regular panelist on the show, to discuss his diagnosis and treatment

Private: After sharing his five-year cancer battle last week, Noddy said he wanted to keep the news private because his 'resistance' was low after treatment and he didn't want the 'attention'

Private: After sharing his five-year cancer battle last week, Noddy said he wanted to keep the news private because his 'resistance' was low after treatment and he didn't want the 'attention'

Private: After sharing his five-year cancer battle last week, Noddy said he wanted to keep the news private because his ‘resistance’ was low after treatment and he didn’t want the ‘attention’

Suzan confessed she ‘fell apart’ after first hearing Noddy’s diagnosis but ‘pulled herself together as quickly as possible’ to support him through his treatment.

Noddy is now trying to raise awareness of oesophageal cancer, which is more common in men, by speaking out about his own diagnosis and treatment.

His  comments come days after Noddy’s wife Suzan detailed his secret health battle in an emotional piece written for Great British Life last week.

Suzan wrote: ‘Five years ago we were given the devastating news that he had oesophageal cancer and only had six months to live.

‘I’m sorry if that comes as a bit of a shock; it came as a total bombshell to us too. We coped with it the only way we could, by hunkering down, sticking together and doing everything we could to survive it.

‘We told only immediate close family and friends and I will never apologise to those we did not confide in, only to those who were forced to suffer pain and anguish alongside us as we attempted to navigate our way through this new and horrifying world.’

Suzan married Noddy in 2004 – they have a son called Django. Noddy married dress designer Leandra Russell in 1976 and they had two daughters, Jessica and Charisse., before divorcing in 1984.

Noddy received treatment at The Christie Hospital in Manchester and underwent a groundbreaking new form of chemotherapy which has helped keep him alive. 

Cancer news: His comments come days after Noddy's wife Suzan (both pictured in March) detailed his secret health battle in an emotional piece written for Great British Life last week

Cancer news: His comments come days after Noddy's wife Suzan (both pictured in March) detailed his secret health battle in an emotional piece written for Great British Life last week

Cancer news: His comments come days after Noddy’s wife Suzan (both pictured in March) detailed his secret health battle in an emotional piece written for Great British Life last week 

Suzan wrote: ‘There were no guarantees, no one knew if it would have any effect, let alone work miracles, but he responded well. As anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis will know, the experts never like to use the word “cure”, but here we are five years later and he’s feeling good and looking great.’

Noddy has been in fine form and was able to perform on stage this summer after being invited on stage by Cheshire musician Tom Seals. 

Slade earned themselves six UK Number One singles during their 25-year career.

Their biggest hit was Merry Christmas Everybody in 1973, with its memorable chorus: ‘So here it is, Merry Christmas/Everybody’s having fun.

The song is reported to bring in £500,000 in royalties alone each year.

The band started in Wolverhampton in 1966 with the line-up including Dave Hill, Don Powell and Jim Lea, who performed alongside Noddy. 

Noddy and Jim left the band in 1992, with Dave and Don continuing to perform as Slade with a variety of other singers and musicians.

But, in 2020, Don then said he had been sacked from the band and claimed Dave fired him by email without warning, something which Dave denies.

And in 2015, Noddy said: ‘It saddens me that the four guys who were in Slade can’t get together and sit round the dinner table.

‘Five years ago I got the four of us together to air our grievances, but it was too painful.’

Iconic: The Slade sraestarted a new trial of chemotherapy which has helped to keep him alive

Iconic: The Slade sraestarted a new trial of chemotherapy which has helped to keep him alive

Iconic: Noddy is best known for being the frontman of Slade who earned themselves six UK Number One singles during their 25-year career

Wow! Slade's biggest hit was Merry Christmas Everybody in 1973, which is reported to bring in £500,000 in royalties alone each year

Wow! Slade's biggest hit was Merry Christmas Everybody in 1973, which is reported to bring in £500,000 in royalties alone each year

Wow! Slade’s biggest hit was Merry Christmas Everybody in 1973, which is reported to bring in £500,000 in royalties alone each year

Legendary: Slade, studio group portrait, London, 1975. Clockwise from bottom left: Dave Hill, Don Powell, Noddy Holder and Jim Lea

Legendary: Slade, studio group portrait, London, 1975. Clockwise from bottom left: Dave Hill, Don Powell, Noddy Holder and Jim Lea

Legendary: Slade, studio group portrait, London, 1975. Clockwise from bottom left: Dave Hill, Don Powell, Noddy Holder and Jim Lea

However, Noddy and Dave sparked speculation the band was reforming when they posted a snap together in February.

The singer and the guitarist posed for a picture taken by which Suzan uploaded to Instagram.

The author captioned the image: ‘Lunch today. I will not be taking any further questions.’

The pair have not performed together since Noddy quit the band in 1992. He has since said it would take a ‘miracle’ to get all four original members back together.

Throat cancer: What is it, how is it treated and what is the survival rate? 

What is it? 

Throat cancer is a general term that describes several different types of cancer that start in the throat (pharynx) or voice box (larynx). 

Symptoms include ear pain or a sore throat, a lump in the neck, difficulty swallowing, change in your voice or speech, unexplained weight loss, a cough, shortness of breath and a feeling of something stuck in the throat. 

It can be caused by a range of risk factors including smoking, drinking alcohol and viral infections, including human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus.

How is it treated? 

Pharyngeal cancers are generally treated with radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy. 

Surgery is usually required only if the tumour returns after chemotherapy. 

Treatment for laryngeal cancer depends on the size of the tumour.

Early stages can be treated with radiotherapy and surgery alone, while more advanced disease may also require chemotherapy or other targeted cancer medicines. 

Surgery can involve removing part of the voice box that is affected by cancer.

The ability to speak and breathe normally can be affected, especially if all of the voice box is removed. 

What is the survival rate? 

If the pharyngeal cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the overall five-year survival rate for all people is 85 per cent. 

Statistics on larynx cancer survival are only available for men. 

This is because so few women are diagnosed with cancer of the larynx.

Around 90 per cent will survive their cancer for five years or more after diagnosis of stage 1 laryngeal cancer.

Stage 1 laryngeal cancer is only in one part of the larynx and the vocal cords are still able to move. 

The cancer has not spread to nearby tissues, lymph nodes or other organs.

Sources: Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer Now, Mayo Clinic

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