Screenwriter Russell T Davies has described the death of his husband from an aggressive brain tumour as his "greatest loss". He spoke about Andrew Smith on the On the Marie Curie Couch podcast, saying Smith was given just 18 months to live but went on to live for eight years after being diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme.
Davies, the Doctor Who writer who also created shows It's a Sin and Tip Toe, said he and Smith had been together for 20 years and married in 2012. He said caring for his husband was "hard work", but added that he would have done it for another 50 years "without a single complaint".
What did Davies say about the diagnosis?
Davies said he was not with Smith when he first received the diagnosis because the couple thought it was just an "ordinary meeting" with the hospital. When Smith came home, he told Davies he had been diagnosed with cancer but could not remember which type.
"He said it's a brain tumour. I said 'what sort of brain tumour?' And he just couldn't remember," Davies said.
"All he knew is he had another appointment in a week, so I said I would come to that obviously."
Davies said Smith then found a piece of paper in his bag three days later on which a nurse had written "glioblastoma multiforme". He said this referred to a malignant brain tumour, a type of cancer that starts in the brain or spreads into the brain from another area of the body, and that its seriousness depends on how big it is, whether it has spread and a person's general health.
Davies said he looked up the diagnosis and only then realised how serious it was. The article also noted that it contained content provided by Instagram and explained that permission was required before anything was loaded because Instagram may use cookies and other technologies, with references to Meta’s Instagram cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting the content.
How did Smith handle the diagnosis?
Davies said Smith did a "remarkable thing" by deciding not to find out his prospects after the diagnosis. He said this decision came as a surprise to him, but he believed it may have helped Smith get through his battle with cancer.
"It was completely to my surprise," Davies said, adding that he believed this may have helped Smith get through his battle with cancer.
Davies recalled asking a nurse for guidance because he knew how serious the illness was.
"I know how bad it is, shouldn't he know how bad it is?"
He said the nurse told him she had seen the situation before and that as long as someone close to Smith knew, it was fine for his husband to choose not to know more.
Davies said he had been told Smith had just 18 months to live, but that Smith lived for eight years, which he described as "amazing". He also paid tribute to the Marie Curie nurses who supported Smith during the final weeks of his life, saying their help was like having a "saint visiting the house".
What did Davies say about Smith’s final days?
Davies said he held his husband's hand when he died at home, alongside Davies' sister, and described that moment as "very important" to him. He said he was glad Smith died at home.
"I'm really glad he was at home," he added.
Davies said Smith died in September 2018 after eight years of treatment for glioblastoma multiforme. He said the experience of caring for him had been demanding, but that he would not have changed it for anything, even over five decades.
"without a single complaint"
Key Facts
- Russell T Davies spoke on the On the Marie Curie Couch podcast.
- His husband, Andrew Smith, died in September 2018 after eight years of treatment for glioblastoma multiforme.
- Davies said Smith was first told he had just 18 months to live, but he lived for eight years.
- Davies and Smith had been together for 20 years and married in 2012.
- Davies said supporting Smith was "hard work" but something he would have done for another 50 years "without a single complaint".
