The much-loved broadcaster opened up about his brave battle with cancer in the jungle tonight, revealing he lost his ability to taste all foods following his treatment
I'M A Celebrity's Danny Baker admitted he was unable to speak for eight months after battling cancer, as he revealed his inspiring and brave story to his jungle campmates tonight.
The 59-year-old broadcaster, who entered the camp last night alongside Martin Roberts, opened up on the devastating time, causing Gogglebox star Scarlett Moffatt to break down in tears.
Danny revealed he had finally beaten cancer earlier this year - six years after his diagnosis.
The star first revealed he had cancer of the mouth and throat as he picked up his award for Sony radio personality of the year.
He underwent intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy on his mouth, and speaking about the traumatic time, he told his campmates: "One of the legacies of it is my mouth's always dry, I’ve got very few taste buds, very few saliva glands and my appetite is flat lined.
"One of the things here because it’s in your head and you get radiotherapy, its blitzes your mouth and you can’t. . .”
“I didn’t talk for eight months” he added.
Adam quickly joked: "You’re making up for it now," to which Danny responded: "The world gave thanks!”
As Larry revealed he had read Danny's account of the illness previously, the broadcasting star replied: "No I haven’t. I never milked it. It’s bad enough living it, you don’t want to read it.”
As Sam pointed out that he would have inspired others, he said: "The fact that I’m here being a nuisance is say to people well alright. You can get through that."
In fact, he revealed he wore his scarf round his neck now to prevent sun damage.
He added: “People come up to me and said are you the poster boy for the Big C? A lot of people are interested in that sort of thing and they think because everyone is terrified by it and all I can do is hopefully be some kind of living breathing bumptious proof you can actually come through it.”
Explaining the moment he was diagnosed, Scarlett began to cry as she listened to the star's story.
“That was six years ago. 2010. Big old lump come up in the neck and like most blokes I thought oh that’s nothing. It’s only because people stating saying what’s that on your neck," he revealed.
"I had another one about four years ago, that was just a thyroid. And they said you’ve got to take three days off work. And I said when am I going to take three days off work?
"So (then) this side starts coming up. So they said watch the other one because sometimes that goes."
He added: "I just let it go for about eight months. I went into see the bloke. I said 'look the other side’s gone'. He said 'that doesn’t look like thyroid'. I said 'you remember, you said the other side’s going to come up. Test, test, test, test, test, test'.
"He went 'I’ll let you know about them in a week'.
"I got home and an hour later the phone went and it was his secretary... 'Mr Baker, did you come in for some tests this morning'. I said 'yes I did'. She went, 'could you come back?'
"I said 'when', she said 'now'. She said, 'could you bring someone with you' . . You think ok . . . "
Danny went on: "(My) wife said 'who’s that', I said 'we’ve got to go back to the hospital' and that’s how it starts. But then you enter such a regime you know.”
Speaking later, Danny said: “People may have thought I was going to come in here in an iron lung or something and seeing this robust bloke coming in you know it’s a pretty good story. Unfortunately these days it’s one of the few things people know about me.”
Speaking about the star later on, an emotional Scarlett said: “I just think Danny’s so brave and like I just got very emotional because I just think cancer is awful and like obviously it affects so many families.
"My dad’s had it before and Danny actually reminds me weirdly of my dad because he’s got such a positive outlook on everything and when he was talking I was just like, it wasn't tears of sadness it was tears of just how inspirational he is.
"Just how positive he can stay and he’s just amazing. He’s just mint."
