Will Reeve, 34, has revealed he was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of testicular cancer after finding a tender lump in April. His wife, Amanda, encouraged him to seek an ultrasound, and he said the diagnosis brought back memories of his parents’ serious illnesses and his father’s disability.

In May, Reeve had surgery to remove the affected testicle and banked sperm. Tests found that 95 per cent of the cancer was embryonal carcinoma; in June he underwent a six-hour operation to remove abdominal lymph nodes, three of which contained cancer, followed by two rounds of chemotherapy. He said treatment at the same hospital where his mother was treated gave him a personal understanding of her experience.