Gay Byrne is unlikely to return to broadcasting due to his cancer treatment, it has been revealed.
His wife Kathleen Watkins said that the legendary host is still "up and down" from his prostate cancer treatment - but that he's kept his sense of humour despite it all.
She said: "I can't see it happening no, not at the moment certainly not. He's 85 and the treatment now has taken its toll certainly in the last year."
Kathleen was on the Ray D'Arcy Show on Saturday night to promote her new book The Ordinary Woman and Other Poems I Love.
She said: "Though he's been up and down a bit lately he certainly wasn't too down to pick up the book and he read it cover to cover so I got approval.
"The treatment is ongoing but we're doing our thing and we have two fabulous daughters who are really scaffolding around us and that's a great help.
"But like everybody else we soldier on and we've met the most amazing people in the Mater hospital - not just the team and the wonderful nursing staff but other patients that are all there with the same illness in different shapes and forms.
"His mood is very good, the sense of humour is still there, we better be good tonight I can tell you!"
Last year, Gay Byrne admitted that some days the fight against cancer makes him want to "lie down and die."
He said: "What choice have I got? You either fight, or you lie down and die.
"Believe me, there are some days when you want to lie down and die, every cancer sufferer in the country will tell you that.
"But you do the best you can — and follow the treatment."
