Noel Edmonds, Cancer, Negative Energy And The ‘Miracle Pad’

UK TV presenter Noel Edmonds continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons this week after publicly asking a man to consider whether his cancer was the result of his own ‘negative attitude’.

So, what on earth was all that about then? Edmonds has been publicly endorsing and promoting the ‘benefits’ of a product called the ‘EMP Pad’ on his official Twitter account and website. It is here Noel also made the troubling claim that the device is able to ‘tackle cancer’.

Twitter user @VaunEarl, who challenged Edmonds on his claims above has the following information in his Twitter biography:

I'm ILL with Kidney Cancer and lymph node metastases and psoriatic arthritis. Not working due to the above.

After the exchange with Edmonds, @VaunEarl hit the nail on the head when he noted 'My biggest worry is that some, desperate, very ill person will take on board what Noel Edmonds says and doesn't go to see a qualified doctor.' @VaunEarl has since locked his Twitter account from public view. The product that Edmonds is endorsing costs between £1,550 and £2,600 depending on which kit you opt for. This is how The EMP Pad is described on its official website:

The EMPpad Omnium1 and EMPpad iMRS use very low intensity and frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) which target the cells within the body and help to improve the way they function. Research has demonstrated that this can lead to widespread health benefits, including supporting an effective immune response and a healthy overall body.

The website also specifies a number of health issues the EMP Pad is supposedly able to help with. You’ll notice cancer is not listed amongst them:

According to Noel Edmonds on his official website: “It couldn't be simpler. You lie on this mat thingy for just 8 minutes daily, you can do longer if you need to, you don't really feel anything and you can relax, read a book or even send emails if you must and all your cells get a shower of lovely pulsed magnetism and you're set up for the day” Questions have also been asked about the nature of the relationship between Edmonds and the company behind the product. The claim that ‘negative energy’ can cause cancer has been rubbished by Oxford cancer researcher Dr David Grimes who said Edmonds’s comments were "not just untrue" but "patronising". Also, according to The Mail Online:

ITV's Dr Singh said that 'the vast majority of research (on electromagnetism) is poor quality and when it comes to cancer is even worse so I would be very careful taking things at first value when you are looking for that information'.

It’s worth noting at this point that the company behind the device released an official statement distancing themselves from the claims of Edmonds:

Although research using very low frequency and intensity PEMF to help address cancer has produced some promising early results, it is currently in the very early stages and EMPpad does not make the claim that PEMF therapy can prevent cancer. The opinions of Mr Noel Edmonds are his alone and do not reflect in any way with the opinions of us at EMPpad. We had no discussion, input or prior knowledge of the content of Mr Edmond’s statement and we do not agree with it in any way, shape or form.

It’s actually illegal in Britain to make false claims of cancer cures, and the Advertising Standards Authority initially announced they would be investigating Noel Edmonds’s comments before later informing The Metro that:

We contacted the company, EMPpad following concerns about claims being made in a tweet by @NoelEdmonds for its EMPpad product. They were not aware of and didn’t have control of the tweet and as such it’s not an ad for the purposes of our rules. We will, however, be reviewing marketing claims on EMPpad’s own website to ensure they are sticking to the strict medical devices advertising rules that are in place.

Noel made an appearance on British Breakfast television show ‘This Morning’ to try and clear the air. However, I feel he just contaminated it further as you can see below:

  During this appearance, Edmonds revealed that he had previously been diagnosed with prostate cancer and stated that he was “absolutely certain” that the cause of it was “stress” because “stress is negative energy”. According to Cancer.gov:

Although stress can cause a number of physical health problems, the evidence that it can cause cancer is weak. Some studies have indicated a link between various psychological factors and an increased risk of developing cancer, but others have not.

Noel also puts his now being free of prostate cancer down to “pulsed electromagnetism”, yet concedes you must also do “other things” too. It would be interesting to find out whether those “other things” also include proven, conventional medical treatment. And if so, how can he be sure the EMP Pad had any effect on his cancer at all? This is not “scientific” regardless of how many times Noel repeats the word. The tragedy here of course is that someone with a public profile like Noel’s has a reach, and more importantly – influence. What are the chances someone who is desperate and vulnerable may turn to Noel’s ‘miracle pad’ in favour of conventional, proven treatments? Despite the overwhelmingly negative reaction this whole episode has had for Noel, I would be willing to wager the EMP Pad has seen an increase in sales as a result. Noel is not a medical professional of course. The claim of a link between stress and cancer is at best weak, and at worst, grossly irresponsible. These kind of uninformed declarations come from a place of ego. You can see it in the above clip when Noel talks of having to make a decision about whether choosing to live or die – as though it was entirely in his own hands. As though it’s entirely a choice as to whether your cells finally succumb to the worst outcome of cancer. In truth, we’re all playing the lottery of lifestyle, circumstance and genes. Well, everyone except Noel Edmonds of course. He’s got a magic mat. Studies have claimed that ‘half of the UK’ population will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. The best people to provide you with a fighting chance and credible information are qualified medical professionals. Not TV hosts and snake oil salesman. If you’re of an age that is considered high risk or have a history of cancer in your family – make sure you get regular check-ups. Stephen Knight is host of The #GSPodcast. You can listen to The Godless Spellchecker Podcast here, and support it by becoming a patron here.