Adam Smith has revealed the reality of his cancer diagnosis set in after he noticed blood in his urine.

'The Voice of Boxing' has made a stunning return to ringside this year after he contracted an aggressive form of bladder cancer in 2023. And the former Sky Sports commentator - who didn't take a single sick day in 29 years with the broadcaster - has opened up about the one symptom that made him get the most important check-up of his life.

"It was a brutal period," he told The Independent in a hard-hitting interview detailing his battle against the life-threatening illness. "I’m very, very lucky to be here today. I didn’t feel great physically or mentally, something was wrong.

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"Eventually I found blood in my urine. It was sporadic, but I knew people who’d had prostate cancer, so I monitored it until it got worse and worse. Somebody said to me, ‘You look like you’ve lost a bit of weight,’ and I thought, 'I’ve got cancer.'"

His instinct was right as more tests revealed Smith was suffering from numerous changes indicating potential bladder cancer. But that was only the beginning of the bad news.

"The NHS put me on a very fast programme. I had a CT scan, and then I had a call almost straight away," he continued. "I went back in, and I knew it was serious. A urologist told me I needed a nephrostomy [a tube inserted into the kidney] and a biopsy.

"He showed me a screen and said, 'This is one of the biggest tumours we’ve seen in a bladder, and it’s extremely near the bladder wall.' My kidney had failed, so I had about four days to have the nephrostomy or I wouldn’t make it. I had it within two hours, and the biopsy the next day."

Specialists informed the media veteran his cancer was about to break through the wall of his bladder, meaning he would have to have his bladder, prostate and 19 lymph nodes removed. He would then have to live with a stoma bag for the rest of his life after three months of chemotherapy and tests across four different hospitals.

Thankfully, Smith won his battle and announced in late 2023 that he was cancer-free. But the after-effects are still being felt today as he describes his body as "wrecked."

A blockage caused him to lose four stone in weight because "food wouldn’t go through for 10 days," and he then suffered a twisted bowel. On top of that, he had to learn how to walk again but said: "My family were unbelievable, Sky were amazing."

Boxing fans were delighted to see and hear Smith back on the airwaves this year, though he's left Sky and now works for the likes of DAZN and talkSPORT. It's no surprise to learn one of the most iconic voices in sport didn't expect to survive, but his tale of perseverance may help others avoid the same torture.