Cumbrian broadcaster John Myers has handed £1,000 to a charity which helped him during his fight with cancer.

The money was donated by the audience at the recent An Evening With John Myers event in Carlisle.

This saw a capacity crowd of more than 150 pack Stanwix Theatre to hear John talk with fellow broadcaster Fiona Armstrong about his life and career, as well as his illness and recovery.

The event, at the University of Cumbria’s Brampton Road campus, was sponsored by Cartmell Shepherd and included filmed contributions from broadcasters Jeremy Vine and Pam Royle and former England footballer Alan Shearer, who plays golf with John.

John, 59, returned to the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where his cancer treatment took place, to present a cheque to Debora Howe of the Northern Head and Neck Cancer Charity.

He also thanked Laura Gradwell-Nelson, the MacMillan nurse who supported him throughout his treatment. In January 2018, after complaining of a sore throat that wouldn’t go away, John was diagnosed with a tumour on his tonsil which spread to his tongue. His treatment at the Bobby Robson Cancer Centre in the Freeman involved weekly chemotherapy and radiotherapy every day for six weeks. After four months he was told the cancer had been eradicated.

John was delighted with the response to the Stanwix Theatre evening, and with the audience’s donations. “It was such an honour to be the subject of that event,” he said. “It was a lovely tribute. And to raise money for the Northern Head and Neck Cancer Charity just topped it off. People were so generous and I’m grateful.

“To hand the cheque over in the place where I was told I was cancer free was rather special too. God bless the NHS.”

John grew up on Carlisle’s Harraby and Belah estates. In the 1980s he was a hugely popular continuity announcer on Border Television, often appearing with his puppet sidekick Eric the Monkey.

He launched CFM Radio in 1993 and became a radio executive, buying stations worth more than £100m.

John and his wife Linda have two children and two grandchildren. They live in Northumberland.

An edited version of An Evening With John Myers will soon be available to watch on the University of Cumbria’s website.