‘James slipped away very gently this morning – it was beautiful’

Veteran broadcaster, James Whale, has died after a battle with terminal cancer, it has been announced.

The Celebrity Big Brother star, 74, was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in February 2000 and consequently had to have one of his kidneys removed. But 20 years later in August 2020, James shared that it had tragically spread to his spine, brain and lungs.

In July this year, James was told he only had 12 weeks to live and had been moved into a hospice. He also revealed that he was unable to breathe and felt like he was unable to “go on much more”.

Sadly, on Monday (August 4), James’ death was announced by his wife Nadine. In his last column, released over the weekend, James told how he was ready “to go”…

James Whale on TalkTV
The broadcaster has sadly died (Credit: TalkTV/YouTube)

James Whale dies as wife Nadine shares tribute

Nadine told The Express in a statement: “James slipped away very gently this morning. It was a beautiful passing and he left with a smile on his face.”

His Talk TV producer added: “My friend James Whale has died, and the world’s a lot quieter without him. He faced the end with courage and wit. Broadcasting has lot a giant. I’ve lost a mate. Au revoir Whaley, I’ll miss you.”

James Whale and his wife Nadine
Nadine and James on their wedding day (Credit: Splash News)
James’ fans shared the same sentiment as tributes flooded social media.

“RIP James. The airwaves will never be the same,” said one fan. “The world was a much richer place with him in it – RIP James, you’re really going to be missed,” another then said.

“Farewell James. A one off and a natural ad-lib broadcaster. Cheeky, dragged the truth out of his guests and took TV shows off piste if it helped. Rare talent,” another then said.

What was James Whale best known for?

James had been a fixture of British broadcasting for over five decades. He was best known for hosting The James Whale Radio Show. He also had stints on talkSPORT and talkRADIO over the years. In 2016, he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother.

What’s more, in 2006 he founded the country’s leading charity focused on Kidney Cancer, the James Whale Fund for Kidney Cancer, now Kidney Cancer UK.

In the 2024 New Year Honours, he received an MBE for services to broadcasting and charity. That year he expressed his concern that he might not make it to 2025. After collecting his MBE, he said: “I’ve been terminally ill now for nearly four years.

“So I might make the end of this year, I might not – I might be around next year. I think you’ve got to be positive. I know it’s getting a bit worse than it was. You just have to go with the flow really. You have to do that to get through it.”

James is survived by his second wife Nadine Lamont-Brown, whom he married in 2021. He also had two sons, James and Peter, from his first marriage to Melinda Maxted – who died in 2018, also from cancer.