Ex-TV Host Morton Downey Jr. Discloses He Has Lung Cancer

Former television talk show host Morton Downey Jr., who dangled a cigarette from his lips and blew smoke in the faces of guests who annoyed him, said Tuesday he has lung cancer.

Downey, 63, said he will undergo surgery when his lungs are strong enough. He also said he is planning a TV special aimed at persuading teenage smokers to give up cigarettes.

“I’m going to beat it. Hey, life is a fatal disease, right?” Downey said in an interview from his Los Angeles home. “I realize I have a lot of crap to go through, a lot of pain, but it’s finally given me a focus.”