BBC Radio 2 DJ Johnnie Walker told to 'prepare to die at any moment'
Veteran DJ Johnnie Walker has told how doctors revealed he should “prepare to die at any moment” as he grapples with a terminal illness.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter is suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an inflation of the lungs.
Walker, 79, has revealed doctors have told him he only has a limited amount of time left to live and is now being cared for by his wife, Tiggy.
Walker has been broadcasting his Radio 2 show from his Dorset home after becoming completely housebound and needing round-the-clock care.
The DJ has been cared for by his wife almost since they were married in 2003. Walker was diagnosed with cancer just a few months after their honeymoon and then she was diagnosed with breast cancer ten years later.
Commenting about their relationship, Walker said: “I’ve only got a finite amount of time left here in the physical before I pass over. It’s a very reflective time for us.”
Addressing his wife, he added: “Here we are at the end of my life when you’re having to care for me all over again.”
Speaking on a BBC podcast, Mrs Walker said that on a recent call with a London doctor, she was asked: “You should be prepared for Johnny to go at any moment, is everything in order?”
Walker has paid tribute to his wife’s devotion during his illness following their marriage, and her care as he approaches the end of his life
He said: ‘You definitely saved my life when I went through cancer, I’m positive I wouldn’t have made it without you.
“Your love was just so sustaining, it gave me so much to look forward to. And your caring for me now makes my life so much better.”
Mrs Walker said she needed help “grieving” the loss of normal life with her husband.
She said: “It’s only by going to the doctors and going on antidepressants that I have kept going because I was crying every single day and I was overwhelmed.”
The couple spoke on a special BBC Sounds exclusive show, Walker and Walker: Johnnie and Tiggy, which aired to mark Carers Week.
