A father from Devon credits Jeremy Clarkson and his co-hosts on The Grand Tour for inspiring him to check for testicular cancer, leading to an early diagnosis that saved his life. Andy Hood, 53, saw Clarkson encourage men to check their prostate and testicles on the programme, prompting him to examine himself after noticing he needed to urinate more frequently at night.
Hood visited his GP and was diagnosed with testicular cancer, which he has since overcome. He said he would never have linked his symptoms to the disease or sought medical help without seeing the segment. 'I will never be able to thank Clarkson, Hammond and May enough for saving my life that day,' Hood said. 'Without watching that programme, I would not have checked myself.'
After discovering a lump in the shower, Hood underwent surgery to remove one testicle and received chemotherapy. Determined to turn his experience into something positive, he launched a line of underwear called 'Check Ya Balls' to encourage men to regularly check themselves and raise awareness about testicular cancer.
The underwear features cheeky cartoon characters and serves as a humorous reminder. Hood donates 60 per cent of profits to the Robin Cancer Trust and Cahonas charities. 'Over 150 pairs have sold in the first month,' he said. 'My goal is for every guy to own at least one pair and we'll save lives.'
Hood, a father of three from Barnstaple, warns other men to check their testicles regularly. 'If I hadn't, it would have been much, much more serious,' he said. 'The cancer would have spread.' The NHS lists symptoms of testicular cancer as a lump or swelling in the testicle, an ache or pain, or a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum.
