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Paul Burrell, Princess Diana’s former butler, battling cancer

"You can still have a good sex life but you have to talk about it. Talk about it, don't hide it."

Paul Burrell, a longtime royal servant who became Princess Diana's personal assistant and confidante, speaks during an interview in New York October 23, 2019.
Paul Burrell, a longtime royal servant who became Princess Diana's personal assistant and confidante, speaks during an interview in New York October 23, 2019. Photo by Brendan McDermid /REUTERS

Paul Burrell has cancer.

The 64-year-old former butler – who used to work for, and was a confidante of, the late Princess Diana – is worried he won’t be alive at the end of the year after being diagnosed with prostate cancer last summer.

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He said: “I’m tired, I’m on hormone therapy, it’s robbing me of my testosterone so my beard isn’t growing as it should, I’m tired, and I’m getting hot flushes.

“I’m on an emotional educational roller-coaster and not knowing where I’m going to be …

“Thinking ‘am I going to be here next year [for Christmas]?’… I told my boys and they said, ‘Dad, we need to spend more time with you.'”

Burrell explained he had been for a medical last year and underwent a “full MOT”, with a PSA test – which can detect prostate cancer – showing “fairly unusual” levels, prompting his GM to send him for an MRI scan, which showed a shadow on his prostate.

While the former ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ contestant feels “so tired,” he feels fortunate it was caught early and wants to raise awareness of the disease.

Speaking on UK TV show ‘Lorraine,’ he said: “At the same time you realize that there are thousands of men out there like me who have no symptoms and don’t know they have it.

“I was really lucky they caught it early. I don’t think men are particularly good about going to the doctors – they need nudging.”

Burrell will undergo surgery next month to have his prostate gland removed.

He said: “‘My father days are over. I don’t want any more children, I’ve got two wonderful boys, that’s fine.

“But not everything finishes because you lose your prostrated. It can continue to be as good as it ever was in the bedroom.

“You can still have a good sex life but you have to talk about it. Talk about it, don’t hide it.”