‘Go to the bloody doctor!’ STARS PLEAD FOR THEIR CAUSE
THE TV CHEF, ENTERTAINER AND BUSINESSMAN HAVE A MESSAGE FOR KIWI MEN AND THEIR PARTNERS
When Sir Peter Leitch first received a letter telling him he was to be knighted, he thought they’d sent it to the wrong bloke.
“I was in Wellington and I bumped into [former Prime Minister] John Key,” he recalls.
“I said, ‘You can’t make me knight, I’m not Sir material.
I’m rude, I’m loud, I swear like a trooper.’ And he said to me, ‘We’ll take you for what you do in the community.’”
And ever since, Peter (73) has used his unique, brash and colourful character to do just that. The Mad Butcher, along with legendary entertainer Frankie Stevens (68) and MasterChef champion Brett McGregor (44), have gathered together in aid of Blue September, which raises awareness for prostate cancer.
“The thing I have above these two is rudeness,”
Peter nods, pointing to
Frankie and Brett, who both burst into laughter.
“I tell it like it is. Go to the bloody doctor!”
“It’s all part of his charm,” smiles Frankie. “He’s probably one of the only New Zealanders I know that can get away with it.”
All three well-known Kiwis are using their own experiences and personalities to spread the word about men’s health, and the devastating disease, which kills around 600 men in New Zealand each year.
Peter himself has battled a rare form of bladder cancer, which he was diagnosed with in 2010, and he suffers from Crohn’s disease, while Brett watched his beloved father pass away from motor neurone disease, only two years after being diagnosed.
“He never went to the doctor, because he thought he didn’t need to,” tells Brett. “He worked hard his entire life, then this disease took him out within two years. It was devastating for everyone.
So I made a promise to my mum and my entire family that I’d get a warrant of fitness once a year.”
Adds Peter, “I have a saying – ‘I woke up today and it’s a beautiful day.’ There are a
‘ But sometimes, it’s a case of getting checked – or die. Harden up!’
lot of people worse off than me. And we’re happy to spread the word about prostate cancer. Too many men just won’t go to the doctor because they don’t like getting the finger up the bum. But sometimes
it’s a case of get checked – or die. Harden up!”
For Frankie, it was simply a case of reading prostate cancer’s shocking statistics that spurred the musician to become involved.
“Eight men are diagnosed in New Zealand each day,” he tells. “That’s almost 3000 a year. When I saw those numbers, I was just shocked. Before that, I didn’t even know it was necessary to get checked.”
The trio agree that the stigma of going to the doctor is definitely a New Zealand male problem, as well as a generational issue.
“It’s definitely a Kiwi bloke problem,” nods Peter. “My brother died of bowel cancer because he never went to the doctor. He was a lovely guy too – a better guy then me.”
“And if you look at the different generations – the current one is much more aware of personal health,” says Frankie.
“My father’s generation was definitely, ‘Toughen up, bud.’ It wasn’t an accepted thing to go to the doctor – it was rugby, racing and beer. It’s been a real shift.”
“I 100% agree with that,” adds Brett. “I look at my son, he’s 14, and he and his friends communicate with each other about this stuff so much more.”
And while it’s prostate cancer awareness month, the three men say women have an important role to play in getting their guys to the doctor – nagging.
“Men need nagging, absolutely,” nods Frankie. “My wife’s been the driving force behind me looking after myself better.”
“Same,” says Peter. “In some cases, nagging is the only way!”
“My wife has lost everyone in her family,” Brett reveals. “It’s just her left, no parents, no nothing. So yes, she’s very encouraging.
“So,” he continues, “The message is ‘keep nagging’. Well, about some things!”