Calum Best struggled to contain his emotions during a heartfelt appearance on Wednesday's edition of Good Morning Britain, where he detailed his mother Angie's "traumatising and all-consuming" battle with cancer. The 44-year-old television personality joined hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls on the ITV programme to raise awareness about the disease and encourage viewers to seek medical checks.
A Heartbreaking Diagnosis
Calum's mother, former wife of football icon George Best, revealed earlier this month that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer, which has since metastasised to her liver. According to medical sources, colon cancer involves the growth of abnormal cells within the large intestine's colon section.
When Ed Balls inquired about Angie's current condition, Calum responded with visible emotion: "This is crazy. I've had the pleasure of coming on here for many years and talking about things, but this is the first time I'm sitting here going 'It's so raw and it's so fresh.' You can watch people on social media, friends, family who have lost or dealt with cancer, but when it lands on your doorstep, it's raw and it's real and it's all consuming."
The Treatment Journey
Calum explained the urgent timeline following his mother's December diagnosis: "Without going into too much detail, I had to take my mum to Zurich because of a time frame. They found a 30cm tumour in her colon that had metastasized to her liver. Next steps required immediate action. We found a clinic in Zurich, and she started chemotherapy last week."
He described the treatment's impact: "It's wiped her out, bless her. She's an absolute fighter, she's a trooper. She's spread health and wellness her whole life, from personal training to everything, and now it just shows it doesn't matter what you do and how you do it, cancer can affect anybody."
Missed Diagnosis and Alternative Treatments
Susanna Reid noted Angie's preference for alternative therapies and questioned whether this might have delayed conventional medical consultation. Calum acknowledged this possibility: "I completely agree. I think now in hindsight, she wishes she had thought it could be that sooner. I think she didn't want to believe it could be the case when she prides herself in being so healthy and sharing wellness - that it wouldn't happen to her."
He recounted earlier warning signs: "I remember at one point, we were speaking about it months and months ago. She said 'Something is not right' and suggested various possibilities. I said please let's go get checked. She went to speak to a homeopath who diagnosed Lyme disease and recommended herbs."
When Ed Balls asked if this constituted a misdiagnosis, Calum responded diplomatically: "Respectfully, something wasn't seen. There is no pointing any fingers, of course, but she took the herbs, which she prides herself in. It wasn't getting better. Finally, I saw her one day and insisted we seek proper medical attention. We found it quite late, discovering the tumour's substantial size."
Balancing Approaches
Calum discussed navigating between conventional and alternative treatments: "Even then, my mum wanted to pursue alternative routes. You reach a point where you have to trust medical professionals and doctors' advice. Now that I am immersed in this situation, which has consumed my whole life for the past two months, you see all the alternatives. I am a big believer in all of it - I take fresh juices, I like my oils - but there's a huge debate on social media where people feel strongly because lives are lost."
He outlined their current approach: "I can't stand the thought of 'what if.' So let's trust in what medical doctors can do and alongside it do your remedies. She started chemotherapy on Wednesday, and alongside it she's doing her mistletoe therapy, her high-dose vitamin C. These extra bits align with her moral compass and beliefs, but at the end of the day, when it's life or death, you do everything you can."
Family Support and Awareness Mission
After medical contributor Doctor Amir Khan discussed bowel cancer symptoms, Susanna asked when Calum would next see his mother. He replied: "I'll be right back there. I took her to Zurich and stayed with her for 20 days. The day I had to leave to return this week was difficult - mother's orders were to go and spread awareness. I left with her head just on the pillow, unable to get up. It's a tough watch."
Calum grew emotional describing their strengthened bond: "We speak every day. We are so close. Something beautiful and quite traumatising has emerged these past three weeks - the dependence on me, the relationship built, the love formed through such a heavy time. She told me 'I'm just very happy to have you, it's good for the soul and good for the heart despite going through something tragic.'"
He reflected on personal history: "I've been here before - I lost my father way too young. I will do everything and anything to ensure that doesn't happen with my mum. With the platform I have, I want to raise awareness, which she wanted me to do as well. She's a fighter, she's a trooper."
Angie's Public Updates
This television appearance followed Angie's heartbreaking video shared on Tuesday after her first chemotherapy session. In the clip, she appeared bedridden, telling followers: "Advice needed: I know many of you have been through this, but I can't function. I can't lift my head up, I can't brush my teeth, I can't eat. It's terrible."
She captioned the video: "Apparently feeling like this is normal. Nothing normal about it. If you're suffering right now, we're here for each other."
Calum commented supportively: "I'm so sorry you're feeling this way and going through this. It will pass and we come out even better. I love you." Former EastEnders actress Samantha Womack, herself a cancer survivor, responded: "I wish I was with you. It's rough at the beginning. I'm sending you all my love."
Treatment Details and Fundraising
Angie is receiving mistletoe therapy alongside chemotherapy. This alternative treatment uses extracts from European mistletoe plants and has been utilised in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria for decades. While some practitioners believe it stimulates the immune system and improves quality of life, mainstream medicine debates its effectiveness. The NHS does not offer it as standard treatment due to inconclusive evidence regarding its curative properties.
Calum initially revealed his mother's diagnosis through an emotional social media video earlier this month, stating: "A few weeks ago, my beautiful, wonderful mum was diagnosed with cancer. For as long as I can remember, she has lived her life rooted in health, fitness and wellbeing. She has always believed in taking care of body, mind and soul. But as we all know, cancer doesn't discriminate."
He explained the financial strain: "My mum has been diagnosed with colon cancer that has spread to her liver. To move forward, we need access to specialist care and professionals who can offer the right treatment. This is incredibly hard to say, but financially, I can't carry this on my own." The reality star established a GoFundMe page to help cover treatment costs, writing: "Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us access the specialists, treatment and care my mum needs during this time."
Good Morning Britain continues to air weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX, providing platform for important health discussions alongside daily news coverage.
