Optimism was Andrew Davies’ medicine for cancer

The 73-year-old was told he had a huge tumour in his bowel in September last year after coming back from a walking holiday in Italy.

He got excruciating stomach ache which wouldn’t go away and checked himself into casualty at Warwick Hospital.

But after a successful operation and a six-month course of chemotherapy – combined with an optimistic outlook on life and an addiction to the gym – the Bafta and Emmy-award winning writer is on the road to recovery.

He said: “It was a surprise to find out I had a tumour because I’ve always thought of myself as being very fit.

“The doctors didn’t beat around the bush. They told me I had cancer but then they said they were very good at fixing it. “Before they performed the operation they put a stent in me to get me ready for surgery.

“A few weeks later they removed the diseased part of my bowel – a colostomy was not necessary – and put me on a course of non-aggressive chemotherapy.

“The entire thing went very well.

”I won’t say the experience was delightful.

“It completely knocked me out but I recovered pretty quickly.”

Mr Davies was back in the gym within a month of his operation and even finished writing South Riding, a 1930s three-part Yorkshire drama to be screened on BBC One in January.

He said if he won a Bafta he would dedicate it to his personal trainer, former army physical instructor Eamon Doherty, who now works at Fitness First, in Cannon Park, Coventry. The grandfather of five added: “It’s good I’m a generally optimistic person because I tend to think everything will be ok.

“I didn’t really know much about bowel cancer, but I’m the sort of person who’s inclined to believe what the doctors tell me.

“They said it was the cancer with the best survival rates and they told me exactly what they were going to do about it.

“Everyone else did all the worrying for me.

“I was just trying to be a very good patient.

“I went to the gym, took the dog for lots of walks, ate a lot of nourishing food and thought ‘let’s look on the bright side’.

“After the operation I lost about two stone and felt so weak but working out at the gym and keeping active definitely made me stronger.

“I want to encourage people to exercise regularly.

“Even if people start working out in their seventies I think it is so beneficial and makes you stronger and happier.” Mr Davies, who celebrated his golden wedding anniversary to retired Stoke Park Primary School teacher Diana, will have to wait for five years for the all clear.

He is currently on three-month check-ups, then six monthly, then annually.

The writer added: “I intend to stay positive, keep writing and continue working out.

“I’ve been very lucky and am very grateful for that.”