Veteran broadcaster James Whale has died at the age of 74, following a prolonged battle with cancer. The TalkTV host passed away peacefully on Monday morning, his wife Nadine Lamont-Brown confirmed to the Express, saying: “James slipped away very gently this morning. It was a beautiful passing and he left with a smile on his face.”
Whale was first diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2000, and underwent surgery to remove one of his kidneys. Though the operation was initially successful, the cancer returned in 2020 and later spread to his brain, spine, lungs, and remaining kidney. In May this year, he announced he had stopped treatment and had moved into a hospice near his home in Kent. In his final column for the Daily Express, published shortly before his death, he wrote: “I know I've reached the end of my life but I'm quite sanguine about it. Despite everything, I'm happy to go now.”
His final months were marked by increasing frailty, and he candidly discussed his condition on-air, stating in June: “Things are getting very, very difficult.” Despite his health challenges, Whale continued broadcasting and recording his podcast Tales of the Whales, co-hosted with his wife. In one emotional episode, he whispered “I love you” to Nadine, who responded tearfully: “The best.”
Whale’s broadcasting career spanned more than five decades, beginning at Metro Radio in 1974. He gained national fame in the 1980s with The James Whale Radio Show, known for his frank, often controversial style. He spent 13 years at TalkSport, also hosting on LBC, BBC Essex, and several ITV and BBC television programs. In 2024, he was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting and charity.
Whale was previously married to Melinda Whale, who died of lung cancer in 2018. The couple had two sons, James and Peter, and two grandchildren. He remarried in 2021, crediting Nadine with giving him the strength to carry on following his terminal diagnosis.
TalkTV said in a statement: “We are sad to announce that James Whale MBE died earlier today, aged 74, following a lengthy battle with cancer. As a broadcasting legend for over 50 years, James will be missed by so many at Talk and the wider News UK family.”
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