From Weatherman to Warrior: The Gruelling Battle Mike Larkan Fought to Survive
For decades, Mike Larkan was the trusted face delivering Melbourne’s weather, but in early 2025, his world was blindsided by a personal storm.
Opening up about his harrowing experience, the former Channel 10 presenter has revealed the fight he waged against throat cancer, a journey he described in stark terms as being to “hell and back.”
The Shock Discovery and A Tragic Coincidence
The alarming discovery happened on Australia Day (January 26th) while Larkan was shaving. He felt a lump under his chin and quickly sought medical advice. Initial tests led to a stunning revelation: cancer in his tonsils.
Tragically, this devastating medical news arrived on the very same day as immense personal loss. As Larkan recounted, “The same day that he told me I had cancer, my dad died in northern New South Wales. I postponed the surgery to go to his funeral.” This dual blow facing a life-threatening diagnosis while mourning a parent—set the tone for the emotional gauntlet ahead.
A couple of weeks later, after his tonsils were removed, the news worsened. Tests revealed cancer extending to the base of his tongue and the top of his throat. Larkan recalled the moment of realization: “There was something there that I had to get rid of… I have been to hell and back this year, no question about it, hell and back.”
The Relentless Treatment: Hit Hard and Hit Fast
Larkan’s medical team swiftly informed him that they intended to “hit you hard and hit you fast” with an aggressive combination of radiation and chemotherapy.
For six weeks, Larkan underwent radiation treatment targeted at his neck, Monday through Saturday, while simultaneously receiving chemotherapy once a week. The toll on his body was immediate and severe.
“I was as sick as a dog. The first two weeks, it wasn’t too bad, but after that it just kicks in.”
One of the most challenging side effects was the complete loss of his senses of smell and taste, which annihilated his appetite. Within weeks, he had shed 17 kilograms (15 kilos initially, plus two more), though he has since managed to regain four kilos. Because the treatment was focused on his throat, doctors knew eating would soon become impossible. To sustain himself, a PEG tube (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube) was inserted directly into his stomach for feeding.
The intensity of the treatment resulted in three hospitalisations and, most frighteningly for a broadcaster, a three-week period where he lost his voice completely. He noted the panic this caused: “That was pretty panicky because I use my voice as my career.”
Victory and Vigilance
Larkan finally finished the intensive radiation and chemotherapy on Anzac Day, April 25, 2025. He spent the following six months dedicated to follow-up and recovery treatments. The news he had been waiting for finally arrived about six weeks ago: his doctors gave him the all-clear! While he will continue regular check-ups for the next five years, the immediate danger has passed. He recently had his stomach tube removed and is slowly rebuilding his fitness.
He is profoundly grateful to the nurses, doctors, and specialists who cared for him through those challenging months.
Larkan, a self-described “reasonably fit, healthy person” who doesn’t smoke or drink heavily, acknowledged the shock: “There was no reason for this, it is just the luck of the draw. I am just lucky we found it when we did.” This has fueled a new passion: encouraging vigilance in others. He urges everyone: “If something is not right get it checked out.”
A New Life: Celebrating Every Moment
Mike Larkan has not just survived; he is thriving. Now back officiating weddings—with bookings already stretching into 2028—he finds immense privilege in his role as a celebrant.
His experience has sharpened his focus on what truly matters. As he puts it: “Your take away is that life is short, any dreams that you have or anything that you want to do, you have to do it, it is as simple as that.”
This philosophy is now guiding his family’s next steps. They are booking a safari in South Africa for February and another holiday in July. As he aptly concludes, “Life’s too short just to sit there and watch too much Netflix.”
Mike Larkan’s journey is a raw, honest look at survival, a powerful reminder that even after being tested to the limit, the best moments in life are always ahead.