Stephen Fry, 66, issues urgent health plea after 'life was saved' by early cancer intervention

Fry made the announcement in 2018 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in a lengthy video on his personal blog.

He explained his absence from the public eye at the time was due to the fact he was battling with his health and went on to reveal the diagnosis.

The TV personality detailed how the disease was spotted after a visit to the doctor for a flu jab. He eventually underwent surgery to have 11 lymph nodes removed.

Fry has since gone on to say his "life was saved" by early intervention and has urged men "of a certain age" to get their levels checked.

It has been reported the NHS is joining forces with the charity Prostate Cancer Research, which has launched Prostate Progress.

The initiative is the first of a series of projects which will support innovative uses of health data. Researchers hope to gain insights into prostate cancer by combining the two sets of data to understand more about the disease.

Fry is hoping to encourage others living with a diagnosis to get involved with the project.

The Mirror reports that he commented: "Prostate Progress represents a beacon of hope in the fight against prostate cancer, a disease that impacts countless lives globally.

"By harnessing the power of our own health information, we empower researchers to unlock vital insights, leading to groundbreaking advancements.

"We can bring the world closer to a future where this disease is no longer a threat, where early detection and effective, humane treatment saves lives. I am excited to be part of Prostate Progress and urge others to join me."

Fry has been candid about his health battles in the past, and recently opened up on how using Ozempic left him throwing up "five times a day".

Warning against the ongoing trend, he explained he was an "early adopter” of the jab, which first became available in the US and Canada in 2018 to treat diabetes and obesity.

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"I tried Ozempic years ago; I'm an early adopter of these things," the broadcaster admitted.

He continued, according to the Mirror: "I happened to be in America, and I'd read about it, and I asked my doctor in America, my physician as they like to call them, and he said, ‘I think I can get you some'."

Fry added: “He tried me on it, and the first week or so, I was thinking, ‘This is astonishing. Not only do I not want to eat, I don't want any alcohol of any kind. This is going to be brilliant.’

“Then I started feeling sick, and I started getting sicker and sicker and sicker. I was literally throwing up four, five times a day and I thought, ‘I can't do this.’ So that's it.”