Wilbur Wilde, the saxophonist best known for his role in the house band on Australian television variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday, has revealed he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma after a routine dental check.
Wilde, 69, told the Herald Sun on Monday that his dentist first noticed a suspicious discolouration in his mouth in 2022. After the lesion failed to disappear, a biopsy was performed and, a week later, results confirmed cancer. He underwent surgery in early 2023 to remove about a third of his tongue and the floor of his mouth.
"It was a shock," Wilde said. "I can't say I was scared... I just try to deal with things on their merits and not coping was not an option for me." He said he was concerned the operation would affect his ability to speak and play the saxophone. Recalling the first morning after the procedure, Wilde said he joked with his doctor: "You are very good, I can still pronounce anaesthesiologist." He added that his speech rehabilitation is progressing well and that he has been told he is "cancer clear."
Wilde's diagnosis is the same type of cancer that afflicted fellow Hey Hey It's Saturday alumnus John Blackman, who died in June 2024 at age 76 after a lengthy battle that included surgery to remove his jaw. Wilde served as celebrant at Blackman's funeral, calling his former colleague "a father figure, a hero, a comedy doctor, an attitude coach and a dear friend," and saying Blackman helped make the program appeal to adult viewers as well as children.
Wilde rose to national prominence in the 1980s as a member of Hey Hey It's Saturday's house band, working alongside host Daryl Somers and other regulars who helped make the show a long-running fixture on Australian television. He continues to perform regularly, appearing at gigs while undergoing rehabilitation.
Squamous cell carcinoma is a form of cancer that can affect the mouth and throat. In Wilde's case, prompt detection by a dentist and follow-up biopsy led to surgical intervention. Wilde said he was initially alerted to the abnormality during a routine dental appointment in 2022 and that the biopsy results arrived within a week.
Wilde's public account comes amid wider awareness in Australia of head and neck cancers affecting public figures in the entertainment industry. He said he remains focused on recovery and continuing his music. "I still play gigs," he told the Herald Sun, and added that he felt honoured to have been asked to lead the farewell for Blackman the previous year.
Wilde declined to elaborate on any additional treatments. His comments were first reported by the Herald Sun and were summarized in coverage by other outlets on Sept. 8, 2025.