This morning Ryan Tubridy reacted to the news that legendary RTÉ broadcaster, his friend and colleague, Gay Byrne is facing tests for 'a touch of prostate cancer'.
"All thoughts from my head and my heart this morning, and I think with everyone I bumped into, meet and work with on a given day, are with Mr Gay Byrne," Ryan Tubridy said as he opened his programme on RTÉ Radio 1.
"There I was in my kitchen, like I am usually on a Sunday, listening to Gay on his programme. I love nothing more...than listening to his choice of music and his utterances on anything from books and movies to the arts and everything else in between.
"Just at...the tail end of his programme he announced that he wouldn't be working next Sunday because he's going into hospital for tests regarding 'a touch of prostate cancer', to use his own words.
"He talked about it in very casual, if I may say so, terms because he didn't want to make a fuss but he couldn't help himself make a fuss because as you can see in all the papers and online, everyone cares so much about him, everyone wants to see if he's alright and talk about him, and see where he's at but he's going to go into hospital and get tests and see how he's doing and hopefully he'll be out the other side.
"In fact, he kind of suggested he'd be back on Sunday week on the radio so with any luck that is the case and that he gets the best care and attention. He was very understated in how he spoke about it and I certainly wanted to wish him and the family well in the next couple of weeks, that he gets looked after."
Listen to the clip of Gay Byrne talking to Evelyn Grant about his health at the end of his Lyric Fm programme yesterday:
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Tubridy added: "He is a trooper, he is a fighter, he is a survivor and he's had a pretty tough year lets face it after last December and yet, on he goes. He goes to the openings of plays and movies and book launches - I saw him at the launch of Kathleen's book [children's book, Pigin of Howth] recently and I met him on Wednesday at the Irish Book Awards and honestly, he justs keeps on going."
Mr Byrne suffered a heart attack in December 2015 and returned to work just a few weeks afterwards.
Tubridy continued: "He's remarkable and I just want to send him enormous love and good will and good wishes today and I think I'm probably reflecting the thoughts of everyone in RTÉ and beyond, listeners who used to listen to him on this programme in previous incarnations and watched him on The Late Late Show.
"He seems to be, listening to him yesterday, in fine fettle and he's going to fight away and hopefully he'll be looked after and he'll be ok. And we look forward to hearing him on Sunday week, back where he belongs talking to us on Lyric FM. I wanted to begin the show with those few words this morning."
Listen back to the full 2 hour programme Sunday with Gay Byrne on RTÉ Lyric FM on Sunday November 20, 2016:
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Yesterday Byrne told his Lyric FM listeners and fellow Lyric FM presenter, Evelyn Grant as his programme which is on air from 2pm until 4pm came to an end: "I shall not be with our listeners on this day next week. Have to go to hospital this week...They think they may have discovered a bit of cancer in the prostate and they think it may have moved up into my back.
"I've had the most wonderful, fantastic, robust, good health all my broadcasting life.
"It's my turn now ... Many, many people much worse off. Thank you for your good wishes."
Sending very best wishes for a speedy recovery to #GayByrne & look forward to handing over to him on @RTElyricfm airwaves again very soon
— Aedín Gormley (@lyricmoviemusic) November 20, 2016
Id like to wish Gay Byrne a speedy recovery.. @RTEOne @RTE2fm @RTE_Ents
— nathan carter (@iamNATHANCARTER) November 20, 2016
Best wishes Gay and hopefully a speedy and full recovery#Gaybyrne #legend
— Dustin The Turkey (@DustinOfficial) November 20, 2016
I hope men who hear about Gay Byrne will take something positive from the situation and go and get themselves tested if any symptoms
— Ingrid Miley (@ingridmileyRTE) November 20, 2016
