Paul Burrell is to undergo surgery today for prostate cancer after breaking down in an emotional video.
Princess Diana's former butler filmed a video for ITV's Lorraine today, where he discussed his fears for the future amid him undergoing treatment for cancer. He brought the cameras with him for his pre-surgery appointment at a Manchester hospital.
Paul got emotional as he explained how he fears he'll be a "mess for a very long time" after his treatment - and broke down as he discussed what the future held for him and his husband Graham Cooper. He hopes he will be given the all clear after his operation.
Speaking about what this all means for him and Graham, he said: "This isn’t about me is it? It’s about the big picture - it’s about my hubby, Coop. It’s about our relationship, the way forward, so I had to talk about all of that. That’s a very important part of the jigsaw.”
In the clip shared on Lorraine, Paul headed to Christie Hospital, Manchester to find more about the treatment.
"I’ll go for a two-hour procedure and they will inject radium into my prostate. My recovery will be for the rest of that week. And then for the next three weeks I will have to go to radiotherapy appointments – to kill it from the outside as well as the inside," he said in the clip as he explained what would happen, "Hopefully at the end of that period I’ll be all clear."
Paul was asymptomatic at first, but a blood test last summer for a TV show revealed high levels of PSA, a chemical released by the prostate gland. A follow-up MRI scan revealed prostate cancer.
During the segment, he also met with two men who had also received a similar diagnosis, as they urged him to find strength in others as Paul admitted he had a new found hope after meeting the men, who had both been diagnosed with cancer.
As he visited Can-Survive UK - which provides support to people and families touched by cancer - he met with Maurice and Winston, who shared their own experiences and urged more men to talk about prostate cancer to raise awareness.
Asked why men don’t discuss this more openly, Maurice explained: "I think there’s a stigma, an embarrassment, more than anything else. And growing up in the Caribbean community we are always told that men are supposed to be strong and not talk about things and I think that’s part of the problem. As we all know, a problem shared is a problem halved."
Following the segment, Lorraine revealed Paul was having his treatment today and wished him the best of luck.
*Lorraine airs weekdays at 9am on ITV
