NODDY Holder has opened up on his battle with cancer.

The Cheshire resident, and former Slade frontman, was told he had just six months to live when he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer five years ago.

However, until now he has not spoken about it but thanks to an experimental form of chemotherapy he is still going strong.

Speaking about his reaction to the diagnosis on the Jeremy Vine show with Alexis Conran, the 77-year-old said: “I was more worried for my family, how they were going to react, than I was for myself really.

“I went eventually to The Christie hospital in Manchester and I said, ‘Well is it six months? Is that it? Is that the end of the line?’

“And they said, ‘Well, the only option you’ve got is an experimental treatment that we’ve never ever tried before, we’ve had some success over the past 12 months with it, but we’ve never tried it on anyone over 60’… because it was very, very hard going.

“He said, ‘But your positive outlook and your mind could help you, and are you willing to take the trial on?’ and I said, ‘Well, what choice have I got really?…’ and I tried it, it was hard going, very hard going, but five years later I’m still standing.”

Northwich Guardian: Noddy's cancer diagnosis was revealed by his wife in a column for Cheshire Life Noddy's cancer diagnosis was revealed by his wife in a column for Cheshire Life (Image: Newsquest)

Noddy was born in Walsall before moving up north with his wife, Suzan Holder, who revealed his diagnosis in a column for Cheshire Life magazine.

Speaking on the Channel 5 show, she said that she “found out the definition of climbing the walls” when she went to appointments with Noddy.

“I found there was one moment where I was trying to get out of the room vertically,” she said.

“It was unbelievable. I did fall apart. I got out of the room to fall apart, but unfortunately, you (Noddy) knew that’s what was happening.

“I pulled myself together as quickly as possible, and I’ve been with him to every single appointment he’s ever had and obviously we’ve gone through all of that together.”

She added: “There’s lots of moments in rooms, small windowless rooms of people just shaking their heads going, ‘I’m really sorry, but there’s nothing’, and that’s what we were told.

“So for him now to be here five years later is incredible, is not where we thought we were going to be but it’s brilliant.”

Read Suzan’s column in the November issue of Cheshire Life, out now.