Nigel Farage opens up on cancer battle

NIGEL Farage has talked about skinny dipping in his youth and his battle with testicular cancer as he joined other UK leaders in trying to shed a light on his private life.

The Ukip leader was speaking on ITV. Picture: AFP/Getty

Speaking to ITV’s Tonight program the Ukip leader, who is trying to win the Thurrock South seat and get into Westminster, described the emotion of his first son being born after suffering testicular cancer when he was 21.

In a program which was broadcast across the UK except in Scotland, he said: “Well my memory is that I was 21 years old and I had testicular cancer and one of my thoughts through that period was that perhaps I won’t be able to have children, then having children, first child was a very big moment. I was very emotional about it. I’ve been very lucky.

“I’ve got four - two boys, two girls, they’re fit and healthy. You’re not going to see pictures because I’m keeping them out of the public view. But they are all doing well in life and I am pleased about that.”

The man who hopes to force the main UK parties to hold an early referendum on Europe also touched on his father’s alcoholism when he was a child.

He said: “Well these things happen, he got over it and made a success of his life. We had some problems when I was a kid but not that bad.”

But Mr Farage was willing to own up to his own youthful excesses, talking about going skinny dipping as a young man.

He said: “Well I did a bit of skinny dipping and a few things like that in the middle of the night, yes.

He added: “It was youthful excess. It got very cold, erm. It does need some parameters and some boundaries; I probably had fewer than most.”