Legendary actor John Hurt, known for his stint as Mr Ollivander in Harry Potter, revered for his roles in Midnight Express and The Elephant Man, and famed as the dude who gave birth to a baby alien in Alien, has released the following statement regarding his prognosis...

"I have always been open about the way in which I conduct my life and in that spirit I would like to make a statement. I have recently been diagnosed with early stage pancreatic cancer. I am undergoing treatment and am more than optimistic about a satisfactory outcome, as indeed is the medical team. I am continuing to focus on my professional commitments and will shortly be recording Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell (one of life’s small ironies!) for BBC Radio 4."

Hurt, pictured here on June 4th at arrivals of Royal Academy Summer Exhibition VIP preview in London, was given a knighthood for his services to the arts in 2014.