TV STAPLE
Who was John Stapleton’s late wife Lynn Faulds Wood and how did the Watchdog TV presenter die?
Their famous son has followed his parents into TV
LYNN Faulds Wood became a household name in the eighties thanks to her successful broadcasting career.
She was one half of an iconic TV couple alongside her husband John Stapleton, who shared his Parkinson's diagnosis in October 2024.
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Lynn was born in Glasgow on March 25, 1948.
She received a Master's degree in languages from Glasgow University before moving to London when she was 21.
Her journalism career began at Woman magazine from 1977 to 1979, before moving to the Daily Mail.
She then wrote for The Sun in Lynn's Action Line column.
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During that time she campaigned for the closure of the notorious East London open-air live pet market.
It eventually closed in 1983 after backing from readers, petitions and demonstrations.
Lynn moved into broadcast in the early 1980s where she joined TV-am as their consumer champion.
She then landed a job on BBC's Breakfast Time from 1984 to 1986.
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Cancer diagnosis
Lynn was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 1991 and was found to be clear of the disease five years after surgery.
In 2002 she co-founded the European Cancer Patient Coalition which she was the chairman of from 2003 to 2010.
She helped set up MEPs Against Cancer, and was part of the team who got cancer on the official European Agenda.
When Lynn passed away
Lynn died on April 24, 2020, at the age of 72 from a stroke.
Announcing her death, her family released a statement which said: "Having suffered a massive stroke last night and a subsequent bleed on the brain, presenter and journalist Lynn Faulds Wood passed away peacefully at 12 noon today with her husband, John Stapleton, and son Nick at her bedside."
Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid and Dr Hilary Jones pay moving tribute to Lynn Faulds Wood
Husband John
Lynn was married to fellow broadcaster John Stapleton, who she met when she was working in a pub in 1971.
They wed in 1977, with their son Nick arriving 10 years later in 1987.
John and Lynn became a much-loved TV couple as they presented BBC's Watchdog together from 1985 to 1993.
John announced on Monday, October 21, 2024, that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
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He and son Nick appeared on BBC's Morning Live where they shared a short film about John's diagnosis.
John talked about his symptoms, which included "continuous exhaustion and lack of energy".
He said: "It's a classic symptom of Parkinson's apparently.
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"I'm going to keep taking the tablets and hope it gets better."
Nick has followed in his parents' footsteps into broadcasting and is the face of BBC's Scam Interceptors.
Cancer screenings in England
CATCHING cancer early gives you the best chance of survival, and a huge part of that is attending regular screenings.
NHS programmes can help diagnose the disease, or risk of it, and improve the likelihood of successful treatment.
There are three national screening programmes in England: cervical screening, breast screening and bowel screening.
"If you are eligible, please make every effort to have your screening test as they can detect a problem early, before you have any symptoms. ," the NHS says.
"Finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective."
Cervical screening
This is offered in England to people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 and is routinely carried out every three years up to the age of 49, and every five from 50 to 64.
Depending on the result, people may be recalled earlier.
During a cervical screening, samples are tested for high risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes nearly all cervical cancers.
Those that test positive are then analysed further.
Breast screening
Breast screenings, which involve an X-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to see or feel, are usually offered to women aged 50 to 71 in England.
But the NHS is trialling them for women under 50 if they have a high risk of developing breast cancer.
Bowel screening
This test detects whether patients are showing any early signs of cancer.
It is available to everyone aged 54 to 74, with the programme gradually expanding to those 50-plus after The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign.
Currently, those aged 54 to 74 are automatically sent an at-home test kit every two years, so make sure your GP has your correct address.
The at-home test involves providing a small poo sample to be checked for tiny amounts of blood, which could be caused by cancer.
If you're 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
Source: NHS
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