John Burgess His wife Jan’s cancer battle
Game show legend ‘Baby John’ Burgess opens up about his love for his wife, as she continues to fight a five-year battle with cancer
He’s a television icon who commanded the attention of millions of viewers during his time on Wheel Of Fortune. Now, 23 years on, John Burgess has given a rare insight into a painful battle he’s been facing largely in secret.
“It’s getting tough now,” the 76-year-old recently told Studio 10 in an emotional interview.
Until now, Australia’s longestserving game show host – fondly known to his fans as Burgo or Baby John – has remained tight-lipped about his beloved wife Jan’s fight for life.
It was 2014 when Jan, also known as Gianna, was first diagnosed with breast cancer. Three years later, she was told she had cancer of the liver – and it was so aggressive she had just
months to live. “[They said] ‘if you don’t do anything about it, you won’t see your birthday in March,’” John reveals. “That was the 9th December 2017. It shook me up a bit I’ve got to tell you. It was pretty awful.”
Reeling from the news, John took to Facebook, imploring his fans to support his wife of 30 years. “I don’t talk often about personal things but I need a favour,” he wrote. “Could you please send her some love and light? It would mean a lot.”
‘Our love really hasn’t changed. I really did hit the jackpot’
Nearly 50,000 people answered his plea – giving Jan a much-needed boost when she was at her lowest ebb.
“My wife believes, and so do I, that it had a profound effect on her recovery,” says John, explaining Jan is currently on medication and “we’re getting there”.
LOVING CO-STAR
Talking about his wife’s fight leaves John, who lives with Jan in Perth, visibly emotional, and it’s not the first time he has witnessed the agony of seeing a loved-one battle ill health.
He and Wheel Of Fortune co-star Adriana Xenides became lifelong pals after working together for 12 years on the hit show, and when the bubbly blonde was admitted to hospital after suffering stomach pain in 2010, John and Jan were quick to rush to her side.
“She was in a coma when I got there,” John says.
“My wife says when I leant over and said, ‘Adri, Burgo’s here’, she opened her eyes very briefly, but I didn’t see it because I was in tears.”
Tragically, Adriana – who had suffered a ruptured intestine – passed away aged just 54.
Later, it was claimed her much-loved million-dollar smile masked a “sad and lonely” life, which included an eating disorder, depression and prescription drug abuse.
With his co-star gone and his wife’s battle continuing, what does the future hold for Baby John?
Despite his struggles, the TV veteran, who has recently fronted a campaign for Smith’s chips inspired by his stint on Wheel Of Fortune, refuses to rule out a return to screens as a game show host.
SPIN THAT WHEEL!
“It’s nice to make people happy,” he says. “[ Wheel Of Fortune] is on in about 34 countries in the world. It’s not on in Australia for some unknown reason. Don’t ask me why.
“I think if some enterprising TV network thought it’d be a good idea to bring it back with Burgo, it’d be a very big story, and I reckon it would be a bonanza!”
But for now, John’s focus is on his beautiful wife and he’s determined to remain by her side.
The pair wed in 1989 after he drove her “nuts” with his “perseverance” following their meeting at a friend’s party.
“I still look at her and my heart skips a beat,” he has said of the love of his life.
“Over the years our love really hasn’t changed. I really did hit the jackpot!”