Danny Baker reveals he has cancer

The Radio 5 Live host, who has presented shows for Radio 1 and Radio 2, told fans and listeners in a statement online, explaining why he has been absent from his regular Saturday show.

Baker, who is also well-known as a scriptwriter for his friend Chris Evans, remained upbeat and said he had been "watching Tommy Steele box sets".

"Once the quacks have soundly thrashed this thing I shall return like a rare gas and as if out of a trap," he said.

Baker, 53, apologised to his listeners for keeping his illness under wraps over the past few weeks.

He said: "As it appears this is going to continue for the foreseeable, I really ought to offer up some sort of breadcrumbs trail as to what's going on.

"As you know I am queasy about introducing vulgar real life on to the vaudeville stage so let's keep this crisp.

"After a pretty mouldy diagnosis about a month back, I finally begin chemotherapy on Monday with further radiotherapy from January. Yes, radiotherapy; can you beat it?"

He continued: "This being so, the old treehouse baggy pants will be donned but sparingly.

"Once the quacks have soundly thrashed this thing I shall return like a rare gas and as if out of a trap."

He urged his listeners to "keep yakking up a storm and laugh extra loud" at the guest presenters for his shows.

His agent, Alex Armitage, said that everything Baker wanted to say about his illness had been included in his statement on networking site Facebook.

But he added that the presenter was "in good spirits".