Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - UK correspondent Gavin Grey on King Charles's cancer diagnosis.

Episode Date: February 7, 2024

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The Hits, with the Jono and Ben podcast. Thanks to Challenge, putting the service back into service stations. We cross live now to our quaint British friend who adds an air of distinction to the broadcast I find Ben Boyce every time we speak to him. Gavin Gray, our UK correspondent, welcome. Hi there guys. It already sounds more distinct. It's an exclusive correspondent just to us, right? No one else? Absolutely. It pulls in almost zero income for us, right? No one else? Absolutely.

It pulls in almost zero income for you, but you're loyal. That's the main thing. Pretty sad news and sobering news over the last few days. King Charles being diagnosed with cancer. Yes, quite a shock as well because he'd been looking so well. We knew he'd been into hospital and that was for an enlarged prostate. And it was during that procedure, which went well, that apparently they then discovered something else, went away and did tests. And that's when he got the cancer diagnosis. Now, to be clear, we don't know what cancer it is. But anyway, it looks like he's in for a series of treatments at a hospital in London

as an outpatient. and lots of people thinking that treatment is quite probably chemotherapy. Because everyone is obviously speculating, which seems to happen with these things going on. Do you read anything into the fact that Harry went over there to visit him? Yeah, I think actually that's really quite an important point. Obviously, relationships have been strained and did fly over, I think, within 36 hours. King Charles informed both Prince William and Prince Harry prior, of course, to it being made public. Sources telling me that actually Harry only managed to spend about half an hour, 30 to 35 minutes with his father. But amazingly, Harry has just been pictured back at Heathrow Airport and is flying home.

So he's only been in the UK for a matter of a few hours. Throughout that time, he's only seen the king, his father, for half an hour. That idea of perhaps a rapprochement between the pair might seem a little overstating it. So this is why we get you on rapprochement. Rapprochement. We're just going to pretend we know what it means, OK? Rapprochement. Get that into every show for the next week.

Reposhmont. We'll be reposhmonting all over the place. So what does it mean now? Obviously, King Charles, he was planning to come to New Zealand, I think, later in the year. I imagine he's taking a big step back from royal engagements. Is William stepping up? Yeah. So at the moment, actually, we are rather short of senior royals.

Prince William, but he's only just today performed his first official engagement for a few weeks. And that's because, of course, Kate, the princess of Wales, has also been in hospital with something really quite serious. We're not being told what it was and is now going to be recuperating for what looks like two months. Good morning, Gavin. I'm Megan. It's nice to meet you. I'm joining the boys this year. She's our reposhmont. I think I used that on the right tune. Yeah, for sure.

Is there any sort of rumours going around as to what Kate has done? With Kate, we really don't know what it was. It was abdominal. Maybe they're taking the tack along with what cancer the king's had, that it might be better just to put out a general announcement and leave it there. But talking about what good can come out of this, yes, a family rapprochement would be good. I've said it again.

Also, what would be really, really good, I think, is do you know what? When the king went in and announced it was an enlarged prostate the first time around, the numbers of people going to their doctor with symptoms that they had never mentioned before, worried about their prostate, has rocketed. So in a sense, perhaps out of all of this, he now feels a bit more of a duty to talk openly about his own health. Oh, well, that's some good to come out of it. And you feel sorry for the guy. I mean, he's been waiting his whole life, living for free in luxurious castles, waiting to be king, and then this happens.

Somewhere up there, Diana's going, ain't life a bitch? Well, all I can tell you is I'm hearing that King Charles is incredibly frustrated. You are right. He was the longest apprentice ever. And at the age of 74, finally having that coronation and within the year, then having to take a step back.

Do you think there are conversations going on behind closed doors? Because, you know, worst case scenario, you do have to plan for it. William steps up. You'd think you'd get a good 30, 40 years out of William, wouldn't you? Yeah. So I think already, although it seems unseemly, people are bound to start looking at the next generation. No doubt at all that a Prince William becoming a King William, I think would be pretty popular. Prince William seems to be extremely popular. Kate seems to be extremely popular. They are young, youthful, vibrant, seem to be far less stuck in their ways and far less stuck up in their ways, if you know what I mean, in terms of tradition, but also class values and colonialism

and all the rest of it. So I'm sure, I'm absolutely sure that the firm as it's known, the royal family, are looking to the future and thinking, if this happens, then what are we going to do about it oh kevin gray thank you very much for your time this morning and all your reposhment i think i said that you're not gonna forget that word you're not gonna forget that i don't know what it means thank you so much mate i really appreciate it guys