'Colin McFarlane saved my life', says director
BBCA theatre director has thanked actor Colin McFarlane for saving his life after talking about prostate cancer.
The Lincolnshire-based actor, who has appeared in The Dark Knight and Doctor Who, announced he had prostate cancer on the BBC Breakfast sofa in June 2023.
Femi Elufowoju Jr, a friend and colleague, said hearing McFarlane's story encouraged him to get checked, which led him to also being diagnosed.
During an interview alongside McFarlane, Elufowoju said: "This man here has literally saved my life and I wouldn't be sitting here today if I hadn't seen that item on television."
The British-Nigerian director, who was awarded an OBE for his services to drama, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December 2023.
He said he had returned from visiting his father, who was ill in Nigeria, when he saw McFarlane announcing his diagnosis on BBC Breakfast.
"I just knew that I needed to make it my next appointment as early as possible because up to that point I had no intention whatsoever," he said.
"If I hadn't seen Colin, it would've got to a stage where it would've been too late."
Elufowoju, who has worked with McFarlane many times, said he was going for blood tests every three months and was getting an MRI every six months.
"There was a sense of optimism from the get go that we have caught it early and that we are going to manage this," the director said.
According to charity Prostate Cancer UK, one in eight men are affected by prostate cancer. For black men, the risk doubles to one in four.
McFarlane said: "I'm really lucky I caught it early, so I thought if I'm lucky and I know so much about this, I need to try and share this knowledge."
The actor, who is also the voice of ITV's The Cube, said he was now going for blood tests every three months and had an MRI once a year.
"The satisfaction you get from someone like Femi coming to you saying 'you've literally saved my life'... that's what drives me," he said.
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