Glenn Campbell, the political editor of BBC Scotland, has announced that he has a brain tumour.
This revelation comes only two months after Glenn was involved in a tragic bike accident that left him paralysed and with ten fractured ribs.
In a statement to his colleagues on the BBC Scotland politics team, he stated that while he does not believe his accident caused the malignancy, it is probable that the fall ‘helped expose the tumour earlier than may otherwise have been the case’.
He said he is as ‘optimistic as it is possible to be’ ahead of the surgery on Thursday, adding that it is the ‘only way to find out exactly what sort and grade the cancer is and to decide on subsequent treatment’.
He told BBC colleagues his bones have ‘mended really well’ after the crash and he is feeling “great”.
But he added: ‘Unfortunately that is not the full story.
‘Doctors have recently discovered a further health issue that I have to deal with.
‘I have been diagnosed with a brain tumour and will have surgery for that on Thursday August 10.
‘That’s the only way to find out exactly what type and grade the tumour is and to decide on further treatment.
‘I don’t think the tumour caused my accident or vice-versa, but it is possible that falling off my bike has helped reveal the tumour earlier than might otherwise have been the case.
How it started How it’s going pic.twitter.com/LRmqscG3kb
— Glenn Campbell (@GlennBBC) June 19, 2023
‘I am as optimistic as it is possible to be and I have already started researching charities to support with some fundraising.’
Gary Smith, the head of news and current affairs at BBC Scotland, said: “Our heartfelt best wishes go to Glenn and his family as he undergoes treatment.
‘Glenn’s not only a highly talented political editor, he’s also a very popular colleague in the newsroom.
‘Everyone at BBC Scotland is thinking of Glenn and is looking forward to seeing him recover and return to reporting duties.’
Glen went to X in June with a photo of himself poised for a bike ride and another of himself in the hospital following the accident.
In good spirits, he joked above each picture, ‘How it started,’ and ‘How it’s going.’
Underneath, he detailed how he fell off his bike ‘at speed on a bumpy East Lothian hill road’.
‘Spent a week in hospital with ten broken ribs,’ he said, before thanking the NHS major trauma team for their help.
He added: ‘Still very sore but one the mend.’
