BBC icon and Virgin Radio DJ Chris Evans has broken down on the radio while speaking about friend and F1 team owner Eddie Jordan, who died today after fighting cancer

Chris Evans has broken down in tears on his Virgin Radio show while paying tribute to F1 legend Eddie Jordan. The former Formula 1 team owner passed away today aged 76 after a battle with bladder and prostate cancer. Paying tribute to Eddie, Chris began to cry as he described him as a “real liver of life”.

“Eddie sang from the hymn sheet that says, ‘Live life as deeply as you can every single day, every single day.’ Because Eddie lived a thousand lifetimes and he was a real liver of life,” he said. “And if you really are a liver of life, then life loves you for it and gives you more. And if you live like that on the daily 24/7, 365 days a year then you have no regrets as far as that aspect of the opportunity of being a human is concerned and Eddie left nothing on the pitch, or should I say track.”

Chris Evans on Top Gear with the late Eddie Jordan ( 
Image:
PA

Chris also opened up about working with Eddie in the past, revealing that he “couldn’t have been more supportive than he was whenever we asked him to do anything”. He added: “He was always there on hand for a Q&A, he would take literally take auction winners around with him on the Jordan tour.

“He used to basically host them for the whole weekend he used to get them in everywhere because Eddie could get where dust couldn’t – he was such a mover and shaker such a ducker and diver and the man had such a huge personality. Would I say he was a close friend? Yes I would say he was a close friend.”

Chris went on to urge listeners to go for a prostate check-up, saying: “I mean he was fit as a fiddle. Clearly he was encouraging us all to get checked because we do know that various forms of cancer the majority of forms of cancer are now eminently curable if you catch them early enough – prostate cancer being one of them.

“Not at all curable if you don’t catch them until it’s too late so time is their greatest weapon and it’s our greatest weapon against them and we get a first call on that particular coin toss and you’ve just got to keep getting yourself checked.”

He added: “Seventy six too young, too young, too young too young – too young for anyone.”

Eddie Jordan made his final broadcast appearance just weeks before his death, contributing to the Formula For Success podcast. He said: “So let us in this new year, when DC comes back of from being dry, and you’ve done your two months, I’m hoping to make a recovery to be mid-season, maybe Monaco, back in full flight.”