Emotional host Simon Barnett pays tribute to wife, Jodi, amid latest cancer fight

Newstalk ZB host Simon Barnett paid an emotional tribute to his wife Jodi on Tuesday after returning to the airwaves for the first time in four weeks.

Addressing listeners on Simon Barnett and James Daniels Afternoons, the broadcasting veteran revealed Jodi’s brain cancer had returned after three years in remission.

Jodi was rushed to the hospital in April 2018 after suffering a seizure at the couple’s Christchurch home. She was later diagnosed with two lesions on her brain.

She went into remission following a tough battle that left her with limited mobility on the right side of her face and speech difficulties.

However, on Tuesday Barnett said Jodi underwent brain surgery two weeks ago, her fourth surgery in total after an MRI showed that a tumour had returned.

“They removed the tumour. I saw the MRI scan before and after, and he managed to get pretty much all of this tumour out, the scan before was overwhelmingly sad,” Barnett said.

He described Jodi’s neurosurgeon, Simon John, as “god-like” and said that his wife would not here without John and the prayers of others.

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