The former Sky News presenter has spoken about his health
Former Sky News presenter Dermot Murnaghan has revealed he is “feeling pretty good” after undergoing chemotherapy for stage four prostate cancer. The 67 year old journalist admitted he “fell through the gaps” when it came to early testing and has urged men “of a certain age” to “demand” a test on the NHS.
Despite there being no national screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK due to the lack of a reliable test to detect treatable cancer at an early stage, according to Cancer Research UK. Discussing his treatment, Murnaghan shared with Sky News: “I finished my chemotherapy kind of early July, so I’ve been recovering since. We’re just waiting to see how it’s gone. But feeling pretty good.
“It’s hard but the one thing is, you feel that you are actively doing something in the hands of wonderful medical professionals who know what they’re doing, and you’re kicking back, there’s this kind of bit of a psychological gap now that it’s stopped – ‘What do I do now? .
“But I’m in the waiting and seeing phase, they can see how much it’s achieved hopefully.”
Prostate cancer can be tested in several ways, including through a PSA test, which measures the level of prostate specific antigen in your blood. High levels may indicate a prostate condition.
Murnaghan told Sky News presenter Anna Jones: “I am proactive on the behalf of the NHS when it comes to men wanting to be screened, they do have a right to be screened, but they actually have to ask for it rather than be offered it, as often happens with other cancers.
“So in my own case, I fell through those gaps. I mean, I foolishly sat in your position for many, many years speaking to people about this very issue, and talking about men, particularly over the age of 50, men in high risk groups who may have a history of it in their family to go and ask for the screening.”
In an urgent appeal to men over 50, he continued: “Once you cross that milestone, go and demand it, your GP will eventually give you one. If there’s a history of prostate cancer in your family, definitely get it.”
Murnaghan is participating in Sir Chris Hoy’s charitable cycling challenge, Tour De 4, this September which aims to boost awareness and generate funds for cancer charities nationwide.
“It’s a wonderful idea. The name’s fantastic, isn’t it? And, you know, hats off to Chris Hoy”, he said.
The Olympic champion revealed his terminal prostate cancer diagnosis in October 2024.
NHS guidelines state that men aged over 50 face increased risk of developing prostate cancer.
Warning signs of the condition include difficulty urinating, blood in urine, erectile dysfunction and lower back pain.
Murnaghan hosts true crime documentary series Killer Britain and the podcast Legends Of News. Before his stint at Sky News, he was the face of ITV’s News At Ten and the BBC Ten O’Clock News – now rebranded as BBC News At Ten.
Murnaghan also took on hosting duties for the BBC’s quiz programme Eggheads and presented Sky News At Ten along with his own talk show Murnaghan before his final role at the channel as a newsreader on Sky News Tonight, which he departed in 2023.
Throughout his career, he reported on major events such as the announcement of Queen Elizabeth II’s death, the 2019 general election, Prince Philip’s funeral, and the 2020 US presidential election.
