Men's Health Week 2025
Cheers to wellness with Hawksbee and Jacobs live
This men's health week collaboration comes out of the striking statistic that in 2024 only 37% of people with cancer who contacted the Macmillan Support Line were men, despite 52% of cases being amongst men in the UK (reference i).
On 6 June, talkSPORT's popular Hawksbee and Jacobs programme teamed up with Macmillan, Greene King and show sponsor Toolstation for a special one-off event to encourage conversations around men's health.
For one afternoon only, the esteemed duo swapped the talkSPORT studio for Greene King pub The George in London Bridge. They were joined by well-known special guests from the world of sport who have been affected by cancer. They discussed personal experiences of men's health conditions, as well as the importance of regular health checks, to tackle the stigma around these topics.
Roger's story
Roger was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November 2024. As a health and fitness influencer and competitive body builder, he shares his experience to get other men talking about cancer.
"I like to discuss awareness of cancer, to be both informative and educational, particularly with men who are less likely to get checked. I had a message recently from a worried guy who said he had been putting it off for a bit. He's now getting investigated, just to make sure. Far greater than closing your eyes and hoping for the best."
"I ignored my pain symptoms for several months, which I wouldn't advise anyone to do. If I could go back, I would consider regular check ups with my GP. A blood test can give peace of mind, or the test can pick up tumour markers at the early stages of cancer, potentially avoiding chemotherapy and surgery. So, respect and listen to your body when it speaks to you."
Get support from Macmillan
Read our information about what support is available if cancer is affecting your ability to work. It includes your legal rights and sick pay options.
Call us for free on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week, 8am to 8pm) if you have any questions about cancer or you just need someone to listen.
You can chat to our trained cancer information advisers online who can be a listening ear and point you to where you can get further support.
Our Online Community is a free online place for people living with or affected by cancer to talk about your experiences and ask an expert your questions.
Toolstation and Macmillan
In 2025, Toolstation have worked with Macmillan to deliver Macmillan at Work training to provide better workplace support for employees living with or affected by cancer.
They have also been highlighting occupational risks for tradespeople around skin cancer and asbestos-related health conditions since 2024, showing customers how to get support from Macmillan.
In previous years, Toolstation has supported Macmillan's 'Find the Words' men's health campaign and displayed Macmillan posters across more than 580 stores. In this video, Toolstation teamed up with tradesperson platform On The Tools to share Elvin's story, who was supported by Macmillan.
Greene King and Macmillan
Whether it's walking with a mate, chatting over a pint or during a car ride, as many as half of men (52%) say they feel more comfortable discussing personal issues when side-by-side, according to new research by Greene King (reference ii).
To mark Prostate Cancer Awareness month in March, we partnered with Greene King to highlight this new research. The findings show that where and how men have conversations matter.
Watch the video to find out more about how Greene King and Macmillan are advocating for men to have more of these important discussions.
About our information
-
References
(i) 37% figure from Macmillan Cancer Support internal data. Refers to 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024. During this time we estimate that the Macmillan Support Line directly supported 33,778 females with cancer, 21,498 males with cancer and 2,334 people with cancer for whom we did not record a gender. 52% figure derived from the following sources: NHS England. Cancer Registration Statistics England; Public Health Scotland. Cancer incidence in Scotland; Public Health Wales. Cancer incidence in Wales; Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Official statistics: all cancers.
The actual proportion of males supported may be slightly higher or lower than 37% depending on the gender of those people for whom we did not record a gender. Please note that these figures represent a subset of all the people supported by the Macmillan Support Line.
(ii) Greene King/Censuswide survey of 1,001 UK men (aged 18+). The data was collected between 21st February and 24th February 2025.