A 67-year-old man diagnosed with the same cancer as Jeremy Clarkson has spoken out about a symptom he dismissed for an entire year. Jeff Titmarsh, a painter and decorator from Stratford-on-Avon, was making 12 toilet trips a day — a recognised symptom of prostate cancer — yet brushed it off as simply getting older.
Jeremy Clarkson disclosed he has aggressive prostate cancer in the latest series of Clarkson's Farm, revealing the news while seated with Kaleb Cooper and Charlie Ireland. The 66-year-old shared that a biopsy carried out in May confirmed his diagnosis, noting it had been detected at an early stage despite being an 'aggressive' form of the disease.
Despite being otherwise fit and healthy, it took a pair of retired doctors whose home he was decorating to urge Jeff to seek medical advice due to his frequent bathroom visits. He was subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer, mirroring the TV legend's experience.
Jeff's journey
Father-of-two Jeff had been ignoring the repeated toilet trips for a full year before finally receiving his diagnosis. Although he was initially told the cancer was incurable, Jeff responded positively to treatment and is now in remission.
He said: 'Clarkson has his girlfriend Lisa, and a good family and friend network around him, which is good. But it'll always be a shock - nobody wants the dreaded 'c word'. Whether you have £1 or £1million in the bank, it can happen to you.'
Jeff observed from around 2023 that he was visiting the toilet more frequently - 'easily once an hour' - and occasionally even struggled to reach it in time. It wasn't until he was painting the house in May 2024 that he took action. He explained: 'The clients asked and I described my symptoms - and they recommended I get checked.'
Following a blood test, he was referred for an MRI scan. Jeff commenced chemotherapy and hormone tablets after discovering it was stage four and had metastasised to his bones. He now requires two-monthly blood tests and daily hormone treatment.
Raising awareness
He stated: 'I caught it quite late, but not too late thankfully. If the chemo hadn't worked, it would have been curtains for me. Going to the loo more was the only symptom I had but I ignored it for a year. The doctors I was working for gave me the boot up the backside to get it checked out. My message is get checked out as soon as possible.'
Jeff is now championing awareness of the symptoms of the cancer which impacts one in eight men during their lifetime. He is preparing for Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 charity cycling challenge in September in support of Prostate Cancer Research. He remarked: 'In a way, it's people like Sir Chris Hoy and Jeremy Clarkson sharing their stories that can elevate awareness of it.'
