World Darts Championship: Stephen Fry urges men to take "life-saving" prostate cancer exam

Beloved broadcaster and actor Stephen Fry has urged men to get a prostate examination sooner rather than later.

Fry, 66, had an operation on an aggressive prostate cancer back in 2018, with early detection and treatment saving his life. Now, ahead of the 2023 World Darts Championship, sponsor Paddy Power has pledged to donate £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK every time a player hits a 180.

It's thought this could lead to £1m being donated to charity over the course of the tournament - much to Fry's delight.

Posting on Instagram, he said: "I am delighted to announce that the sponsors of the World Darts Championship, the greatest sporting championship of the year, bar none, have pledged to donate £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every maximum scored at the Ally Pally.

"That's a possible £1m donation to this fantastic charity over Christmas. They also want 180,000 men to use Prostate Cancer UK's online risk checker. You know, prostate cancer is a serious disease and over one in eight men are diagnosed with it every year.

"I should know - I was one of them.

"But I also know that it's a curable disease if caught in time. I'm a huge fan of the darts. I'm always glued to the world championships every year, but this year I'll be even more excited to watch knowing that this charity is going to receive so much support."

In 2022, BBC presenter Bill Turnbull died from prostate cancer. But his push for men to get their prostates checked before he died led to a significant uptake in prostate examinations.

At the time, Professor Peter Johnson from NHS England said: “I urge you to use the Prostate Cancer UK risk checker today – it is a quick and easy way to understand your risk of prostate cancer and how you can take further action if you are at risk. The prognosis for the people we’re yet to see will be much better the earlier we see them but we do need to see them as soon as possible.

“It’s important men understand prostate cancer often doesn’t show any symptoms at an early stage, so don’t delay – check your risk now. The simple check could be life-saving.”