F1 legend Eddie Jordan, 76, reveals he is battling ‘aggressive’ cancer as he urges ‘go and get tested’
EDDIE JORDAN has opened up on his battle with cancer after being diagnosed earlier this year.
The Formula 1 legend has prostate and bladder cancer, which has spread aggressively in the past few months.
Jordan, 76, revealed he went through some “dark days” as the cancer spread to different parts of his body.
He urged people to go out and get tested and spoke about the importance of looking after one’s body.
In an appearance on his Formula For Success podcast, which he hosts alongside David Coulthard, Jordan said: “We’ve kind of alluded to it David, over the shows. Way back in March and April, I was diagnosed with bladder and prostate cancer.
“And then it spread into the spine and the pelvis, so it was quite aggressive. And we’ve all heard about our wonderful friend Sir Chris Hoy, who is an absolute megastar, and he [was] coming out and talking about illness such as like what I’ve got, but he’s a far younger man.
“But this is a little message for all the anchors and everybody listening to this: don’t wait or put it off.
“Go and get tested, because in life you’ve got chances and there is so much medical advice out there and so many things that you can do to extend your lifetime. Go and do it.
“Don’t be stupid, don’t be shy. It’s not a shy thing – look after your body, guys.
“We’ll move on, but yes, some very dark days in there – but we pulled out of it, thankfully.”
Hoy, 48, opened up on his cancer diagnosis by revealing doctors have given him just four years to live.
Like Hoy, Jordan is also a legend in his field and although he never drove in F1, he did race in F2, F3 and Formula Atlantic, as well as 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1981.
Ten years later he did finally make it to F1 with his Jordan Grand Prix team, and gave Michael Schumacher his F1 debut in 1991.
Jordan Grand Prix raced in F1 until 2005, and achieved its best ever result in 1998 when Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher finished first and second at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The team was sold in 2005 and rebranded as MF1 Racing a year later before becoming Force India and later Racing Point and now Aston Martin.
Jordan returned to F1 in 2009 as a pundit for BBC Sport’s Grand Prix and later joined Channel 4 in 2016.
He’s also been a regular pundit on Sky Sports over the years.
He was awarded an honorary OBE by Her Majesty The Queen in recognition of his services to charity and motor racing in 2012.
In 2016 he joined the cast of presenters on Top Gear, who at the time included Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc.
The signs of bladder cancer you should know
There are around 10,500 new bladder cancer cases in the UK every year, according to Cancer Research.
That’s 29 every day, making it the 11th most common form of cancer in the UK.
Smoking is the single biggest risk factor for bladder cancer, causing 45 per cent of cases in the UK.
But exposure to other chemicals, including industrial, is also known to be a cause. Sometimes the cause of bladder cancer is not known.
Around six in 10 cases are in people aged 75 or over, with a steep rise in risk from age 50.
The signs of bladder cancer
- Blood in urine: This is the most common sign. It might not be obvious and may come and go. It might look like streaks of blood, or brown urine.
- A need to urinate more
- A burning sensation when passing urine
- Pelvic pain
- Bone pain
- Unintentional weight loss
- Swelling of the legs
What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
Symptoms of prostate cancer can include:
- needing to pee more frequently, often during the night
- needing to rush to the toilet
- difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy)
- straining or taking a long time while peeing
- weak flow
- feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
- blood in urine or blood in semen
Source: NHS
Speaking in mid-October about his health, the multi-millionaire revealed that he underwent tests as part of taking part in a cycling event in South Africa earlier in the year.
He said: “At 76 I did the Argus [Cape Town Cycle Tour], and then you get a bit of a bang, and then you suddenly feel that you’re not 100 per cent.
“You go to the doctor, and then you get this illness. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and I urge everybody to be able to stand the fight, because it’s worth it.
“I’m coming out the other side, everyone else should come out the other side. The prognosis is absolutely fantastic. The medical awareness of what’s going on at the moment is quite simply mind-boggling – and so there should be every opportunity to avail of that medical help.”