British-born Nigerian TV and radio sports presenter, Ugo Monye has launched a prostate cancer awareness campaign to help men beat the disease.
Monye, a former England rugby union player, is embarking on his latest challenge three years after he lost his father to prostate cancer.
Monye was just about to start Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 when his father died.
Theophilus Monye, 82, had returned to Nigeria after separating from his wife years before, and had had various health issues, but his son was disappointed to discover a week after his father died that prostate cancer had taken him.
“It’s an illustration of just not knowing what he was dealing with and how us men often leave things until it’s quite simply too late. It’s frustrating, because prostate cancer is one of the most treatable cancers if caught early.”
Monye, 41, is now fronting Know Your Roots, a prostate cancer awareness campaign with specialist cancer care provider GenesisCare, encouraging men to be proactive in seeking early diagnosis, even though there may be no symptoms, and prompting people to find out more about their family medical history.
He understands that some men might feel uncomfortable about visiting the GP about their prostate.
“It’s an intimate area, isn’t it? There’s a stigma around checking yourself. But the whole process is really simple and easy. My call to action for anyone is that if you’re black and over 40, ring your GP, go on to GenesisCare’s website, and if you have any questions you can have them answered.
“There are 10,000 men a year with no symptoms who get diagnosed. No-one should be complacent about their health.”
This isn’t the first time Monye has supported a cancer awareness initiative. He recalls taking part in ITV’s The Real Full Monty with the late Tom Parker from The Wanted in 2018 to raise cancer awareness in men.
Monye, who retired from professional rugby in 2015 and covers rugby for TNT Sports and a co-hosts a Rugby Union Weekly podcast for the BBC.
