Snooker legend Willie Thorne undergoing prostate cancer treatment

The retired legend has battled depression and gambling problems in the past

Former snooker player and BBC snooker commentator Willie Thorne spoke about his string of other problems on This Morning in May (Rex Features)

Retired snooker player Willie Thorne has revealed that he is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

The 61-year-old is optimistic about making a full recovery as the potentially life-threatening disease was found at an early stage, but blames stress for "bringing it on".

Thorne told the Sunday Mirror that he discovered he had cancer after a set of routine blood tests ordered by his psychiatrist alerted doctors to a problem.

"A scraping of the front of my prostate showed up the cancer cells and now doctors are having to carry out a scraping of the back of the prostate to see if there has been any spread," he said. "But because they caught it quite early, we're hopeful."

Thorne, a former UK Championship runner-up and Strictly Come Dancing contestant, is currently awaiting his latest results which will determine whether or not he needs surgery.

Thorne has been working as a BBC snooker commentator since retiring but has been battling gambling problems , depression and debts for the past two years.

"I feel numb with everything that has gone on but I am determined to summon the strength and fight," he said. "I do wonder if this has been brought on by the stress."

More than 40,000 new cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed every year, making it the most common cancer in men in the UK.