Truemors
Martin Bashir, who became a household name after his extraordinary TV interview with the late Diana, Princess of Wales about the break-up of her marriage to Prince Charles, is suffering from a brain tumour.
The 45-year-old former Panorama presenter confirmed yesterday that he has a tumour growing on his pituitary gland but plans ‘to get on with his life’.
The potentially life-threatening condition was discovered after the celebrity interviewer was treated for a serious knock to the head last month.
According to sources in New York, where Mr Bashir lives with his wife Debbie and their two children, the presenter suffered the injury on the set of his Nightline show for ABC news in America and was taken to hospital for stitches.
It was only following a scan that doctors discovered the tumour on Mr Bashir’s pituitary gland, which is at the base of the brain and helps to control growth.
‘It has been a very worrying time for Martin and his family but the good news is that the specialists do not want to operate on the tumour yet,’ a family friend said last night.
‘Martin was filming his show when he knocked his head pretty badly and had to go and have stitches.
'The next day he was still in a lot of pain so he went back to the hospital, where they did some tests. It was then that the doctors realised he has a tumour growing on his brain.
‘While of course it has been very upsetting, Martin is seeing it as a blessing in disguise. If he hadn’t had the knock to his head, he would never have known about the tumour.
‘The doctors say they have found it at a very early stage. They want to monitor it at the moment and not operate. Obviously it’s very serious and they are not unconcerned.
‘But tumours can stay static for many years. The doctors have done lots of scans and tests and there are no signs that the tumour is cancerous, or that it will grow, so he can live with this quite normally for the time being.
‘The last thing Martin wants is for people to think he’s going to pass away tomorrow. He wants everyone to know he is doing very well.’
The British press is buzzing this morning with reports that ABC's Martin Bashir is battling a brain tumor. A source close to Bashir tells the Telegraph that doctors found a tumor growing on his pituitary gland, but said that he wants "to get on with his life".
The growth was first discovered after Bashir received treatment for a head injury suffered April 18 while he prepared for that night's Nightline.
ABC News tells TVNewser, "An MRI scan recently discovered a small growth on Martin Bashir's pituitary gland. Bashir's doctors have advised that no immediate action be taken as they monitor the situation month to month. Bashir is feeling well as he continues to keep a full schedule anchoring and reporting for ABC News."
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