Veteran TalkRadio Host James Whale Dies at 74 After Cancer Battle

British broadcaster James Whale, a fixture of late-night talk radio and daytime television for more than five decades, died on 4 August at the age of 74. His wife, Nadine, confirmed the death, and TalkTV said in a statement that Whale “slipped away very gently” after a long illness. Whale was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2000 and underwent surgery to remove one of his kidneys. The disease returned in 2020, spreading to his spine, brain and lungs. He disclosed in May that he had ended further treatment, saying he was "at the end of [his] cancer journey." Beginning at Metro Radio in 1974, Whale became known for brash, phone-in shows that later moved to ITV and TalkSport, where he spent 13 years before stints at LBC, BBC Essex and, most recently, TalkRadio/TalkTV. He also appeared on the 2016 series of Celebrity Big Brother and was appointed MBE in April 2024 for services to broadcasting and charity, having founded a kidney-cancer research fund in 2006.