Bob Harris says his cancer treatment is going well after stepping down from Radio 2, and the update gives a clear read on where he stands after 56 years behind the microphone. He said he still misses going on air, but he is also sounding more settled in the slower pace that followed his exit from the show.
Radio 2 after 56 years
56 years is the number that defines this transition. Harris stepped down from hosting his Radio 2 show after that stretch, and in June he revealed that his prostate cancer had spread to his spine. The new post makes the current state of play plain: he is away from the studio, his treatment is progressing, and the public update is coming directly from him rather than through a formal announcement.
“It's impossible for me to even begin to explain how much I am missing @bbcradio2 going on air and creating programmes for you.” He added, “I miss my friends, I miss the studios and more than anything, I miss my listeners.” For a presenter whose identity was built on routine broadcasting, that kind of loss is not abstract; it is the daily rhythm of work, audience contact, and studio time that has gone missing.
Bob Harris and Team Bob
“Time to spend with my wonderful family and lovely friends (scroll to see multiple previous posts! ) Time to be creative and explore new ideas.” He then shifted to the practical upside of being away from work, writing, “And time to just sit in the garden with my cats... a time to reflect how fortunate and blessed I am to be still here to enjoy it all.” That is the other side of the story: fewer live commitments, but more room to manage life around treatment and the limits that come with it.
“But my cancer treatment is going well, my belief in positive thinking has been reinforced and I am embracing this opportunity to let time slow down.” He also said he now has to accept that he is “a slightly different version” of himself and that he no longer has the stamina he once had. That is the friction in the update — progress in treatment without a promise of the old pace returning.
Chris Difford and Ralph McClean
Chris Difford wrote, “You are an inspiration Bob. I hope to come and see you very soon.” Ralph McClean added, “Enjoy every second my friend!” The response shows how Harris’s update landed inside the wider and music orbit: a personal health statement, but also a public moment that drew quick support from colleagues.
“And, as I posted a couple of days ago, Team Bob is working on an amazing project for later this year! This is a very special moment to appreciate life and the love that surrounds me. Thank you for the days!” That leaves the clearest practical next step sitting with Team Bob, not with the broadcaster. Harris is no longer in the Radio 2 chair, his treatment is moving forward, and the next visible development is whatever that later-this-year project turns out to be.
