Former Westlife star Brian McFadden joined local firefighters on ITV show Lorraine

Crews from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were joined by Mr McFadden and his wife, Vogue Williams, to support a TV campaign to make men more aware of prostate and testicular cancer yesterday (Thursday).

The firefighters and Mr McFadden featured in a live broadcast from service headquarters in Birkenshaw for the Check Your Chaps campaign.

The broadcast included firefighters from various stations including Normanton, Idle, Odsal and Fairweather Green.

The campaign ran week on the Lorraine programme, offering facts, figures and advice on how men can carry out monthly testicular checks.

It urged their partners to prompt men to check themselves and seek medical advice if they have any concerns. It also shed light on prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in UK men.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Beckley said: “We are hugely in support of Lorraine’s Check Your Chaps ITV campaign which highlights a vital men’s health issue.

“A high proportion of our workforce is male and whilst our daily jobs are about saving other people’s lives, we can all be guilty of neglecting our own health at times.

“By highlighting prostate and testicular cancer on national TV our firefighters hope to inspire others to dispel the taboo that surrounds the subject and get clued up on how to carry out simple monthly checks.

“After all, our ethos in the fire service is that prevention is better than cure and a massive 98 % of testicular cancer can be treated if caught early enough.”