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Louise Thomas
Editor
This Morning regular Trevor Sorbie has revealed he has been diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer and only has weeks to live.
The celebrity hairdresser, 75, appeared on the daytime chat show on Wednesday, 9 October alongside his wife Carole to announce the sad news to viewers.
Sorbie told hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard that he found out in June he has around six months left to live but is determined to make it to Christmas.
During the live interview, he said: “I lost a lot of blood one night and I was unusually disturbed about that. I went to the hospital and they told me I had bowel cancer.”
“’I looked at Carole and she looked at me, we were both speechless, I didn’t know what to say. So I went and had a big gin and tonic,” the hairdresser added.
Sorbie detailed how the cancer spread to his liver and he had a six and a half hour operation. “But it came back to my liver,” he said. “I had another operation. And now the major [growth] they won’t cut it out because it’s too close to a major blood vessel.”
Up until a fortnight ago, the hairdresser had continued going to work two days per week, describing his career as his “medicine” and “life”.
“I never wake up thinking, "Oh poor me, I’ve got cancer" or feel sorry for myself,” he explained. Sixty years I’ve worked passionately to achieve beyond my wildest dreams. When I go in it’s my staff, I’ve had them for 30 years, I’m just one of the team.”
Sorbie admitted there had been uncertainty over whether he would live until Christmas Day, with his nurse telling him she didn’t know if he would make it.
“I said ‘I damn well will,’” he replied. “The brain rules the body. The heart plays a big part as well but that is the engine.”
Throughout his career, Sorbie has worked for celebrity clients including Helen Mirren, Bryan Ferry, Grace Jones and The Beach Boys. He is the creator of the wedge haircut and was appointed an MBE in 2004.
The hairdresser said he has found purpose in his charity My Wig Hair, which teaches hairdressers how to cut wigs in a way to make them look like real hair.
Sorbie started the initiative after he was involved in creating a realistic wig for his sister in law after she was diagnosed with bone cancer.
He said: “I’ve got a charity and I’ve helped many women through cancer, cutting wigs for them. People handle it in different ways. There is no one way, no right way, wrong way. It is however that person deals with it.
“You can fight this. Doctors have even said you’re breaking medical science, you shouldn’t be here right now. Last night we went out and just had a lovely dinner.”
Upon hearing the news of his diagnosis on This Morning, fans rushed to X/Twitter to praise Sorbie’s bravery and offer their condolences.
“Honestly God bless Trevor,” one person wrote. “I don’t know how Ben and Kat held it together. What a gorgeous man and it’s so so sad he will be gone soon..God bless.”
Meanwhile, another person added: “What an incredible man, keep fighting Trevor.”
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