Earlier in June, Carte Blanche presenter Derek Watts announced that he would be stepping back from the show after being diagnosed with skin cancer which has spread to his lungs.
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Watts worked on Carte Blanche as a journalist and presenter for over 34 years and made lifelong friends along the way, including former co-presenter Ruda Landman, who hosted the show alongside Derek every Sunday evening for 19 years before leaving the show in 2007.
The pair quickly became a power duo and household names, broadcasted through television screens across the nation every week. According to reports, the pair would meet every Tuesday to sift through the news cycle and find stories that were worth delivering to the nation that Sunday. Landman claims that Derek always knew how to sniff out a good story.
Derek Watts
According to an article published on News24, Ruda says:
“What immediately struck me was Derek’s strong news instinct,”
“He’s a news person through and through – he knew immediately which story would work and which wouldn’t.”
Recently, Landman paid a visit to Derek in hospital, sharing an update on his condition with YOU. While Watts has reportedly lost a bit of weight, Ruda says that he hasn’t lost his optimism.
“He hasn’t lost that eternal optimism for which he’s so famous,”
“He’s especially grateful for all the messages of support and prayers he receives from the viewers. That moral support makes him strong and gives him hope.”
Even after Ruda left the show in 2007 she has remained in contact with Derek. Ruda says that the pair of them meet up every November to celebrate their birthdays and catch up on gossip. She’s routing for her long time friend and co-presenter for a full recovery, and knows that he’s getting the best medical care possible, according to her chat with YOU.
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Feature Image: Derek Watts’ website
