Children’s TV legend Johnny Ball has admitted he knows he ‘doesn’t have long left’ — but says he’s never felt happier or more content with life.
The 87-year-old, father of presenter Zoe Ball, spoke candidly from his Buckinghamshire home, reflecting on ageing, illness and what matters most as he enters his later years.
‘I’m laughing more now than at any other time in my life,’ he said. ‘I even bought my wife a bunch of flowers today — the first time I’ve done that in 20 years.’
Despite his good humour, Johnny is realistic about his age, continuing to The Mirror: ‘I have my wife, my dog, my life. I’m very happy with my life. I’m happy that I’m still fit at 87,’ he said.
‘By rights, I don’t have long left — I want to spend it with a smile on my face.’
It’s this perspective that has shaped his strong views on assisted dying, an issue thrust back into the spotlight this week following the failure of a proposed bill in Scotland after an emotional parliamentary debate.
Johnny says he is deeply uneasy about the idea, not because he dismisses the suffering of those who are terminally ill, but because he fears the risk of outside influence.
He referenced the Greek scholar Eratosthenes, who is said to have ended his life by refusing food in old age. ‘It’s one of the saddest things I know in history,’ Johnny said.
‘Fast forward to now, and I’m always worried that people will sway people. There are too many stories of people realising that money is going to move from one place to another when somebody dies for me to be wholly comfortable about assisted dying.’
Johnny’s reflections come after a significant health scare. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 and, for a short time, feared he might be nearing the end of his life.
‘For about three days after I knew I had it but didn’t know the severity, Dianne and I rationalised about whether I was coming to the end,’ he recalled. ‘I said “well that’s the way it is and I’d better cash in, I’d better finish some ideas I’ve had.”’
However, doctors soon reassured him that the cancer was treatable. After undergoing radiotherapy, he was given the all-clear last year.
‘When you come out the other end of cancer, good heavens, what a relief, and how wonderful,’ he said. ‘I’ve been blessed with some more years to come.’
Johnny first found fame in the 1960s on Play School and going on to front shows including Think of a Number, Think Again and Play Away, Johnny’s career has spanned more than seven decades.
His second memoir, Stories That Must Be Told!, is set to be released on March 28, adding to a body of work that has made him one of Britain’s most recognisable children’s TV presenters.
A father of three, Johnny also shared his pride in daughter Zoe and the way she and her ex-husband Norman Cook — better known as Fatboy Slim — have maintained a strong relationship after their split.
‘The two of them are really good buddies. They live within a mile of each other,’ he said.
‘They’re good mates for the sake of the two children. The children have rooms in both houses, and it all works very well.’
Now, with his family close and his health restored, Johnny says he feels a deep sense of peace about the future.
‘I’ve been kicked in the teeth in every possible way by life and by situations and by people,’ he said. ‘But I still cannot help but smile.’
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