Richard Bacon will be uncharacteristically quiet for the next few weeks after he undergoes surgery to remove a non-cancerous growth on his vocal cord.

With his voice being the tool of his trade, the Radio 5 presenter said not being able to speak a word for at least two weeks following operation “couldn't sound more deathly boring."

The former Blue Peter presenter, who lives in Strand on the Green, was diagnosed as having a polyp by an ear nose and throat specialist.

He told the BBC "I went to the ENT [ear, nose and throat] guy and he shoved a camera down my throat. I expected it to be the size of a pencil or something, actually it wasn't. It was about an inch wide.

The doctor recorded the camera's findings and Bacon posted pictures of his vocal cords on his page on the BBC Radio 5 Live website.

January 9, 2008