The Great Celebrity Bake Off had viewers in tears as Bill Turnbull spoke about terminal cancer diagnosis

The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off began last night but it wasn’t all cheers and smiles when viewers were left distraught after Bill Turnball’s emotional interview.

Turnbull, 62, is currently appearing as one of four celeb contestants in the first episode of Bake Off, which is in aid of Stand Up To Cancer.

Alongside Harry Hill, Martin Kemp, and Roisin Conaty, last night’s show dedicated a revealing segment to his heartbreaking battle with cancer.

After having being diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer, the former BBC Breakfast presenter shared the sad news with the world on social media prior to the airing of the first episode.

‘The doctor said from this that it is fairly clear you have advanced prostate cancer, and it had spread to the bone,’ an emotional Bill said.

‘And then it was like a dark curtain – a dark cloud – comes down,’ he continued.

He described the feeling of being told he had terminal cancer, by recalling how it was ‘a very difficult moment, those first few days after diagnosis are really horrible.’

Cancer is obviously a traumatic and life-changing thing, and Bill didn’t sugarcoat the experience, saying it was ‘probably one of the worst days of my life’ when he found out the news.

‘But, if you’re lucky like I am, you have friends that show you great love and warmth and support.’

‘And that love has really kept us afloat.’ he shared.

Fellow TV stars and former colleagues rallied round him to offer their love and support during such a difficult time, with former co-host Susanna Reid leading the tributes on Twitter and doing so on Good Morning Britain.

Just yesterday, Piers Morgan also shared his encounter with a cancer scare, revealing how he addressed symptoms as soon as he noticed something was awry.

Sky Sports host Simon Thomas has recently spoken about losing his wife, after she died of acute myeloid leukaemia.

And only a few weeks ago Stephen Fry announced that he was battling prostate cancer, vowing to raise awareness.

For more information on spotting cancer and to learn more about the disease, go to Cancer Research UK.

Catch The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off Tuesdays, 8pm, on Channel 4.

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