Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · June 4, 2025 · Entertainment

Jamie Theakston Recalls Beyoncé's Matchmaking Attempt with Kelly Rowland

Jamie Theakston, 54, has revealed Beyoncé once tried to set him up with her Destiny's Child bandmate and close friend Kelly Rowland backstage at Top Of The Pops

EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT: Jamie Theakston Spills All on Beyoncé's Secret Matchmaking Attempts and His Heartbreaking Cancer Battle!

It's been a whirlwind week for British broadcasting royalty, Jamie Theakston, as he spills the tea on his most intimate secrets yet! Fresh from his explosive chat with Amanda Holden on their hit breakfast show, Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, we've got the scoop on the juiciest tidbits that left listeners' jaws dropped!

First up, it appears Beyoncé Knowles-Carter had a secret crush on none other than our beloved Jamie himself! Yep, you read that right – Queen Bey was so smitten with the charismatic presenter that she tried to set him up with her Destiny's Child bandmate and close friend, Kelly Rowland, backstage at Top of the Pops back in the day!

The British broadcaster recalled telling the songstress to 'leave him alone' as she tried her best at matchmaking (L-R) Michelle Williams, Kelly, Beyoncé on Top Of The Pops in 2002)

As revealed by Jamie during a candid conversation on his Heart Breakfast Show, it all went down when he was chatting with Beyoncé about his love life. "Destiny’s Child were on Top of The Pops and I was chatting to Beyoncé, and she said 'are you single?'" Jamie reminisced. "I couldn't remember how it came about, but she said 'oh, Kelly's single, you two would make a fantastic...' and I went 'oh stop it!' And I was like 'stop it Beyoncé, leave me alone'."

Amanda Holden was left speechless when Jamie shared the story, while co-host Ashley Roberts had her doubts – "Was he joking?" she playfully teased! But Jamie assured them he wasn't pulling their legs. Who knows what could have been if these two musical powerhouses had paired up? We'll never know, but it's clear that Beyoncé was a huge fan of our Jamie!

But there's more to the story – and it's not all sunshine and rainbows. In an emotional chat with Davina McCall on her Begin Again podcast, Jamie opened up about his recent cancer battle, revealing he had been keeping the diagnosis under wraps from loved ones for weeks as they jetted off on a family holiday to Japan.

Jamie, who presented the BBC music show between 1997 and 2003, reflected on 'how different his life could have been' if he and Kelly had paired up (pictured on the show in 2000)

"I didn't tell anyone," Jamie confessed. "At that stage, I thought, well, it might not be cancer. So there's no point really in saying anything. I just tried to suppress it." It wasn't until the biopsy results confirmed the diagnosis that he broke the news to his wife, Sophie, leaving her "distraught."

The hardest part? Breaking the news to their two sons, Sidney and Kit. Jamie recalled how they didn't fully understand the gravity of the situation: "When you say you've got cancer to a 14-year-old, they think you're going to die." However, Jamie's eldest son had been with him when his grandmother passed away from cancer just months prior, so he knew what it meant.

Jamie's journey was far from easy – and he wasn't the only one who noticed something was amiss. Listeners took to social media, commenting on his voice change: "People mentioned my voice wasn’t sounding right," Jamie said. "And I knew it wasn’t right myself, but you just think - sore throat, nothing serious."

He said: 'Destiny¿s Child were on Top of The Pops and I was chatting to Beyoncé (L) and she said ¿are you single?¿ ....she said, ¿oh, Kelly¿s (R) single' (Pictured 2000)

It all changed when a throat specialist shared some devastating news: "He looked at my throat and said 'Oh yeah, that’s probably cancer' I said 'What do you mean?' And he said 'Nine times out of ten, it is cancer and we need to get you scanned now.'"

The road to recovery was long and arduous – with multiple surgeries and a worrying risk of losing his ability to speak altogether. But Jamie's determination paid off, and in January this year, he triumphantly returned to the Heart Breakfast Show alongside Amanda Holden.

"Before cancer, I was very analogue," Jamie reflected on the experience. "I had a Filofax. Now I’m digital. My calendar is packed for weeks ahead." The silver lining? A newfound appreciation for life and a deeper connection with loved ones.

He said: 'I went ¿oh stop it!¿ And I was like ¿stop it Beyoncé, leave me alone

Amanda Holden wasn't just an amazing co-host; she was also a constant source of support, even offering Jamie's children advice when they were struggling to cope with his diagnosis: "She checked in on me nonstop," Jamie praised. "She kept the show going. She’s a force of nature."

As for what's next? For Jamie and Amanda, it's business as usual – bringing you the best breakfast radio experience, Monday through Friday, from 06:30 – 10:00 across the UK on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden.

And don't forget to tune in to Davina McCall's Begin Again podcast for more exclusive interviews like this one!

Despite Beyoncé's best efforts Jamie married Sophie Siegle (pictured together) in 2007 and together the couple share sons Sidney, 17, and Kit, 16

Meanwhile Kelly, 44, wed talent manager Tim Wetherspoon in 2014 and they are also parents to two sons Titan, ten, and four-year-old Noah

It comes after Jamie revealed he initially kept his possible cancer diagnosis a secret from beloved wife Sophie for weeks as they enjoyed a family holiday to Japan

The TV host, who is now cancer free, said he was so blindsided by the news he worked hard to 'suppress it' in order to enjoy the trip with their sons (pictured 2018)