Cancer has made red wine taste horrid, says Douglas
MICHAEL Douglas has told how suffering from tongue cancer has ruined his love of red wine.
The 72-year-old actor underwent treatment in 2010 after a walnut-sized tumour was discovered in his throat. Speaking at An Evening With Michael Douglas, hosted by Jonathan Ross in London on Sunday night, he admitted: ‘Red wine does not taste as good [as it used to].’
Douglas also revealed that his friend, Batman Forever actor Val Kilmer, 56, is also suffering from throat cancer. ‘[He] is dealing with exactly what I had and things don’t look too good for him,’ Douglas said.
‘My prayers are with him. That’s why you haven’t heard too much from Val lately.’ Last year Kilmer sparked health fears when he was pictured with a tracheostomy tube. He has been in and out of hospital over the past two years with throat problems, but denied he had cancer.
Douglas, who has two children with Catherine Zeta Jones, 47, has said he is confident he has beaten his illness, having been given the all-clear since chemotherapy and radiotherapy that saw him lose more than 2stone.
Asked if he suffered any long term side-effects from cancer, he admitted that his taste buds have suffered, particularly affecting his enjoyment of red wine. He added: ‘It’s a small problem. Spicy food does not bother me as much as it used to. I have certain things I stay away from. I can do beer.’