Clive James "near the end" of his life

[Si Hunt]

An interesting, and quite poignant, feature on Clive James, who is now very ill and confesses he feels close to the end of his life. I think this is interesting as, as we have seen very recently in the Doctor Who world, although people get ill they tend to "go underground" when they do, and often the first we hear of it is when it is too late. It's interesting to read about his particular person reflecting on his life, his mistakes, and knowing this his life is almost over.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18532310

Clive James says he has become "a recluse" after several years of serious illness.

The Australian writer and broadcaster was diagnosed with leukaemia, kidney failure and lung disease in 2010.

He said: "I've been really ill for two-and-a-half years. I'm getting near the end. I'm a man who is approaching his terminus."

James was speaking to BBC Radio 4's Meeting Myself Coming Back programme.

The 72-year-old explained: "I was diagnosed with leukaemia then I had COPD - which is a fancy name for emphysema - and my immune system packed up. And that's just the start.

"I almost died four times and I swore to myself if I can just get through this winter, I'd feel better.

"And I got through the winter and here it is a lovely sunny day and guess what, I don't feel better."

Clive James moved to England in 1961, and rose to prominence as a literary critic and television columnist.

He later became well-known for his TV work, including Clive James On Television and his commentary on programmes such as the Japanese gameshow Endurance.

"My tragedy now is that I'm so ill I can't get out so I'm a bit of a recluse," he said.

"I keep thinking of things I might have done better and remember the good times of course.

"But mainly I remember the errors. It's my nature, it makes me almost *impossible to live and work with."

James is married to academic Prue Shaw, with whom he has two children.

The broadcaster says he is now worried he may never get to see his home country again.

"I've been so sick I'm not allowed to fly.

"You couldn't get enough oxygen aboard a plane to get me to Sydney. I used to be in Australia for five or six times a year but now I can't go.

"The wistfulness is really building up and I'm facing the possibility I might never see Sydney again."

Meeting Myself Coming Back, in which Clive James looks back across his entire career, will be broadcast on Saturday 23 June at 20:00 BST on BBC Radio 4.

[SiHart]

It's very sad to read this, especially from a man who seemed to love life so much. I think perhaps it's natural to shy away from the world when you're unwell, maybe more so when you're seriously ill, especially if you're in the limelight.

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Yes it's very sad, and yet at the same time, there feels a certain amount of dignity to how he's facing it.

[MinaHarker]

Sad, and possibly untrue.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/me...d-7873594.html

[Si Hunt]

It doesn't appear he mislead people unintentionally. And if all those tributes wern't true then the people really shouldn't have said them. So if media hyperbole (I note the number of headlines "extrapolated" from the interview) means he is told how much he is loved BEFORE he's not around to hear it, then good!

Si.