Former royal butler to Princess Diana and 2004 I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! alumni, who is appearing on the new South African version of the popular ITV show, revealed to Lorraine Kelly on her morning show Lorraine, that if it hadn't been for the special 20th-anniversary celebration series, he may not have known of his prostate cancer diagnosis and revealed: "That show, I’m A Celebrity, literally saved my life."
Paul, who in late January exclusively revealed on Lorraine that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, has been frequently appearing on the show to raise awareness for the disease and to give viewers updates on his health.
On Monday morning's episode, which aired on ITV on March 27, Paul was opening up about his recent operation and first round of radiotherapy and revealed how it was on the medical examination for his appearance on I'm A Celebrity South Africa that first uncovered concerning levels of PSA (prostate specific antigen) which was first indicator of something more serious. Read more on that here.
Speaking to the 63-year-old Scottish host, Paul, 64, said: "That show, I’m A Celebrity, literally saved my life.
“Because I went for the medical [and] they found a raised PSA level. I went to my GP and I said to him, ‘Am I still able to do the show?’ And he said, ‘Look, this can wait until you get back [from filming] and when you get back, we’ll continue with the investigations’.
“So when I got back, then I had an MRI scan and then I had a biopsy and then they told me I had cancer, and then I had to go on the path of treatment.
"It's rollercoaster of emotion and you just don't know what's going to happen to you."
He later explained how his I'm a Celeb journey is a "happy one" and reflected: “I’m so grateful to ITV for picking me to do the jungle because without that, I would still be sat here today not knowing I had cancer growing inside of me. So my journey is a happy one.
Looking back on his experience in the jungle in 2004, almost 20 years ago, Paul told Lorraine how he was a completely different person back then and said: "It was 20 years ago, I was a very different person then. Look at me. I was a lot thinner, a lot younger, I was married then with a wife and my two kids. And this time going into the jungle, 20 years later, I'm married again to my husband, Graham. So I'm a very different person.
"I found it a very liberating experience. And one where I could be myself, I didn't have to look over my shoulder anymore and I met some lovely, lovely people. This is a great cast and those lovely people have stood beside me through my recent trials and I had a fabulous time."
The celebrities who are entering the jungle special, which is set in South Africa for the first time to mark the 20th anniversary of the show, have been revealed and starring alongside Paul will be the likes of Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder, boxer Amir Khan, Olympian Fatima Whitbread and ex-cricketer Phil Tufnell, former Coronation Street actor Helen Flanagan and presenter Carol Vorderman. Completing the line-up are Diversity dancer Jordan Banjo and supermodel Janice Dickinson.
For more showbiz and television stories get our newsletter here.
READ NEXT:
- Ex-Apprentice contender in heated Twitter row with this year's winner
- ITV This Morning: Where is Phillip Schofield as Alison Hammond fills in?
- 'We're not asking you to go back to Wales!' Susanna Reid tells Richard Madeley as he denies returning to I'm A Celeb
- I'm A Celebrity South Africa: Line up, location and start date
- Linda Nolan reveals her cancer has spread in heartbreaking interview
