Kym Marsh says cancer diagnosis ‘broke family’ and it was ‘left too late’

Kym Marsh attending the Pride of Britain Awards

Actress and TV presenter Kym Marsh has said it “broke” her family when her late father revealed his “heartbreaking” prostate cancer diagnosis. Her father, Dave Marsh, died aged aged 74 in 2024 after a three-year battle with the disease, after it spread to other parts of his body when he put off going to the doctor during the pandemic.

Former Coronation Street star Marsh, 49, has since worked to keep his legacy alive and raise awareness for prostate cancer, with her advocacy emphasising how a diagnosis can be “so devastating to a family” if it is found too late. In an interview with the Press Association, the actress hailed her father as the “don of the family”, and said: “He was only little in terms of his height, but he had the heart of a lion.

“He was just dad. He was everything to everyone – he was brave, funny and so supportive. He adored the bones of my mum, they were so close. They were always together.” Marsh said her mother, Pauline, has been “left devastated” since her husband of 60 years died, and said: “When we found out dad was terminally ill and his cancer was incurable, it broke us.

Kym Marsh with her father, Dave

“Nothing seemed to get him down. If he had been ill, he would get back up again. But he said to us: ‘This is a fight I’m going to lose, I can’t beat this one.’ “That was devastating to hear him say that, and for us to realise that was really heartbreaking.”

Marsh said that “trying to help other people” was the “first thing” her dad wanted to do after finding out about having prostate cancer, and the pair campaigned to raise awareness in the years leading up to his death. Marsh and her family have since continued to dedicate themselves to campaigning for prostate cancer, and her son-in-law Mikey Hoszowskyj ran the TCS London Marathon in 2024 to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.

Marsh told the Press Association: “We’ve done everything we can to make sure that dad’s legacy is continuing, and that his memory lives on and to hopefully help other people. When we come together as a family, we all do very much feel like he’s with us. He is always in our memories.

“I strongly believe that my dad is always with us, on everything that we do.”

Kym Marsh (right) with her future daughter-in-law, Carmen Dickinson who is running the London Marathon

The former Hear’Say singer also said she was so moved when her future daughter-in-law Carmen Dickinson offered to run the London Marathon on Sunday in memory of her father. Marsh said: “(Carmen) never met my dad, but it’s just so lovely she wants to do this for us and for him, and for prostate cancer. It just was so gorgeous.

“It’s a very personal journey that we all went on with dad and for her to do this means such a lot to us. She has got such a good heart. We’ll all be heading down there to cheer her on. She’s a gorgeous girl, and I know she’s gonna absolutely smash it.”

Kym Marsh (second left) cutting the ribbon at March For Men

The Whiston-born actress said her and her family raise awareness for prostate cancer as they hope to bring “something positive” out of her father’s death, adding: “It is so devastating to a family. “It was devastating to us and to my dad to think that he’d left it too late. And that’s something we don’t want to happen to anyone else.”

Prostate Cancer UK states the condition is the most common cancer in men and one in eight men will receive a diagnosis in their lifetime, with the risk increasing if you are over 50, black, or have a family history of the disease. Prostate cancer develops slowly, so there may be no signs for years, but signs may include an increased need to urinate, straining while urinating and a feeling that the bladder has not fully emptied, according to the NHS.