Bill Turnbull set to make a breakfast TV return alongside Susanna Reid
Former BBC Breakfast presenter Bill Turnbull will be reunited with his former co-host Susanna Reid later this month.
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The 64 year old, who has incurable prostate cancer, will return to our screens on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to cover for Piers Morgan.
Starting on Monday 24 February, Turnbull will host the show for three days - his first presenting role since he revealed his diagnosis in March 2018.
Speaking to ITV, Turnbull said he was “thrilled” at the prospect of working alongside Reid once again.
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“It’s great when you work with someone you like on television and it’s effortless,” he said. “It comes really naturally and you develop a rhythm and a silent understanding of who is going to do what.
“You recognise each other’s patterns and it’s easy.”
Turnbull and Reid were BBC colleagues for more than a decade, presenting the breakfast show from 2001 until Reid joined ITV in 2014.
‘I feel really good most of the time’
Asked about his health, Turnbull said he was upbeat: “When you have cancer, it’s always there. But currently I feel really good, most of the time. I have changed my diet considerably and in the past few months I have felt healthier than I have in a long time.
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“The only thing I do have is, because I’m on a hormone treatment, I do get hot flushes sometimes. I’m a bit nervous as it could be slightly awkward in the studio.
“Normally what happens if I get a hot flush, I get all red in the face and I take my jacket off and cool down. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do that. We may need to get a little fan.”
‘Realistic about the long-term prospects’
Turnbull was diagnosed with prostate cancer in November 2017, by which time the disease had spread to his legs, hips, pelvis, and ribs.
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In an interview with his former colleague Sian Williams for the Radio Times in 2018, Turnbull remained stoical about his diagnosis.
“Maybe if I’d got it earlier and stopped it at the prostate, I’d be in a much better state,” he told her, but insisted that “life is still very livable”.
People with bone cancer tend to live for around 10 years, but Turnbull told Williams he aims to survive for 14.
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“You have to be positive, don’t you? I know I’m not going to get cured and I’m realistic about the long-term prospects, but they’re not bad.
“Most importantly, I really do think I’ve had a wonderful life, with amazing experiences as a reporter and a presenter. And if it was all to end tomorrow, I couldn’t have any complaints. I’ve had a really marvellous time.”