Hunter Biden, 56, grew emotional in a wide-ranging BBC Newsnight interview broadcast late Friday as he discussed his father’s cancer condition, revealing that the cancer has metastasized into his bones and further.
In the interview, Hunter described the situation as very sad to watch, saying “The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further,” and that it’s “very painful and it’s very debilitating in many respects,” Hunter said the diagnosis had been tough on the family, adding “It’s really sad to watch,” and “The only thing that I’d say about my dad, about his health right now, is I wish he would complain more, because it’s not good.”
Biden said his father remains “out there,” adding “He’s still doing his thing.” “He so believes in this country,” Hunter added. “My dad is, to this day, the centre of our family,” he said, “He’s the best father, the best husband, the best grandfather.”
“Cancer is really hard. It’s really hard to watch,” Hunter noted during the BBC segment. Hunter got emotional at times in the interview, stopping to clear his throat when discussing his father’s health. Hunter described the longtime politician as the Biden family’s “rock,” adding, “He has been there for each one of us, in a way that is hard for me to even articulate and explain.”
In the wide-ranging interview, Hunter revealed his father’s “painful” cancer has spread, saying it has “metastasised into his bones and further.” The former president revealed his cancer diagnosis in May of last year, less than four months after he left the White House. Biden was seen by doctors after urinary symptoms, and a prostate nodule was found, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone.
“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” his office said upon the original announcement. Biden’s Gleason score of 9 suggests his cancer is among the most aggressive.
Jill Biden, the former first lady, said former President Joe Biden will live with stage four prostate cancer for the rest of his life, noting he has slowed down at 83. “While she said in some cases prostate cancer can be ‘cured,’ the problem with Joe — it’s stage four, and it has metastasized to his bones… Joe will have to live with cancer for the rest of his life, which means he’s on special medicines.”
In October 2025, a spokesperson for Joe told PEOPLE that he was undergoing radiation therapy and hormone treatment, with sources saying he was doing well and responding to treatment. She said he also went through radiation, which involved going from where they live in Delaware to Philadelphia constantly for five weeks.
Hunter Biden also reflected on the presidential debate in June 2024 that ultimately ended his father’s re-election campaign, saying he had watched it from his home in California and immediately sensed something was wrong, stating “I was shocked” and “I knew something was wrong.” The debate performance prompted calls from party leaders for the elder Biden to exit the race.
Joe’s oldest son, Beau Biden, died from brain cancer in 2015 at age 46. Long before his own diagnosis, Biden made cancer research one of his signature causes, and following the death of his son Beau, Biden helped launch the Cancer Moonshot initiative, aimed at accelerating cancer research, improving prevention, and expanding access to innovative treatments.
In the viral moment that emerged Friday, Hunter revealed that the “cancer has spread, metastasised into his bones and further. It’s very painful” and “very debilitating”. Hunter Biden grew emotional as he discussed his father’s condition, describing it as very sad to watch. Asked about the 2024 pardon, he said he understood the criticism but noted: “What would you have thought of my dad if he did not do that for me.”