Broadcaster Colm Hayes has been inundated with supportive messages after revealing his wife’s secret battle with cancer.
Earlier this week, the radio presenter, who currently hosts the breakfast show on Classic Hits with Lucy Kennedy, shared that his wife Anne was diagnosed with stage-four metastatic breast cancer five years ago.
Colm said his wife’s battle with cancer encouraged him to take on the 40 Day Health Challenge, a new Operation Transformation-style show on Classic Hits Radio which kicked off on January 6th.
The 62-year-old is one of 16 people taking part in the health challenge across the country with the help of clinical psychologist Dr Eddie Murphy, personal trainer Karl Henry, GP Dr Sumi Dunne, and dietitian Sophie Pratt.
Colm said: “We’ve never spoken about this publicly but my wife is going to speak about it on a podcast soon — five years ago she was diagnosed with stage-four metastatic breast cancer.
“So that means we never get to have a party where the balloons are blue and we lift them and they all go up in the air and we go home.
“Anne is in third level chemo now, she goes to chemo every Monday for three weeks and then a Monday off across the five years.”

“It’s huge, obviously. How that woman continues, I don’t know how she does it,” he continued.
“I always remember thinking about the AIB ad ‘If Brave Is’ and they’ve a woman opening the coffee shop at 8 o’clock in the morning and ‘If Brave Is’ and there’s a man milking his cows and I used to say, well ‘If Brave Is’, it’s Anne.”
Explaining how their priorities have changed over the past few years, he said: “I think, when that happens, your life shifts and changes completely. Your priorities change, you think your future is going to change.”

Picture: Brian McEvoy
“We have to be careful about that, we talk about living with cancer as opposed to dying by cancer. That’s really important and I know there’s loads of people out there but when it’s your life partner, that’s your bubble.”
“I think then over the last couple of years I didn’t possibly… well I was dealing with it on the outside really well and people would say, ‘You seem to be dealing with it really, really well and you’re really positive with Anne’. Inside not really.”
Since sharing his wife’s diagnosis, Colm has received an influx of supportive messages on social media.
One listener commented: “Oh wow. Sending prayers and healing to Anne. We seem to ‘know her’ through you in the mornings. God bless her and you for being so brave.”
Another wrote: “Oh Wow!!!! So sorry to hear this. Jesus…. You never know what people are dealing with. Your wife is most certainly brave. Wishing Anne so much strength and wellness in the future and also to Colm ❤️.”
A third listener commented: “Isn’t it strange hearing @colmhayes every morning on the radio and thinking he hasn’t a care in the world, and then to hear him speak of living along side his obviously adored wife Anne as she remains vigilant in her battle with Cancer, and being the warrior that is necessary to keep going, such a heartfelt interview, may God protect and give them the strength necessary to keep fighting the battle.”