I shaved her head and realised that she looked amazing

turn. I reduced my hours at Radio 2 and made Tiggy’s health my priority. I kept my regular Sounds of the 70s Sunday show, but cut down one-off projects and pre-recorded interviews.

Observant listeners may have noticed a change – I dedicated more songs to my wife that year than I’d dedicated to anyone in almost half a century as a DJ. People must have thought we’d been rowing and I was trying to get back in her good books.

I took on more housework and even tried cooking. I tried to be there when she needed me – help her through the pain and tiredness, and give her space when she wanted to be alone.

One thing that stands out was when her hair started falling out after chemotherapy in April 2014. Mine had done the same. On the morning I noticed it happening, I’d gone to my barber and had it all shaved off. It felt so empowering.

So I offered to do the same for Tiggy. I know it’s different for women, but she’s so beautiful I knew she’d look wonderful with or without hair. We put a towel round lovely few days. The sunsets were beautiful. We had long walks and ate fish and chips. It’s not a case of forgetting what’s going on but trying to stay normal. We laughed a lot.

In fact, the worst of the treatment was finished soon after that. By August, Tiggy’s hair was growing back and doctors were confident the illness was beaten. She was given the all-clear the following May.

A plastic surgeon realigned her breasts to hide the evidence of the lumpectomy. I think she quite liked their new shape.

Since then we’ve been determined to make every day count. Tiggy released a book, Unplanned Journey, about her experience, and has just completed her first novel, while I remain in love with radio. And we both became patrons of Carers UK, a charity which supports unpaid carers.

We now know how important that work is. Which is why in October we’re embarking on a six-day trek along the Great Wall of China to raise money.

I’m 72 and walking nine hours a day won’t be easy, but there couldn’t be a better cause. And, in Tiggy, I couldn’t have a better partner to do it with.