CLOSE-UP: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? - Controversial ex-adman tries new role as cancer crusader.

Chris Woollams' daughter is the catalyst behind his quest for a cure for cancer.

Chris Woollams is on a mission. Yes, he made a killing in advertising and is now a tax exile living in Barbados, with a house in Thailand, one in the South of France and another in Kent. But he doesn't spend a lot of time hanging out on beaches drinking rum and coke. He's more likely to be writing or speaking on ways to beat cancer.

Seven years after Woollams' early retirement from advertising in 1994, his 22-year-old daughter Catherine was diagnosed as having an aggressive, malignant brain tumour. His life has since been focused on pulling together the large amount of research that exists about cancer and addressing anyone with an interest in the disease.

He's published two successful books - Everything You Need to Know to Help You Beat Cancer and The Tree of Life - and, together with his cousin Lindsey Fealey, he also publishes icon magazine (integrated cancer and oncology news) and puts together the heavily used iconmag.co.uk website.

The next step is to establish a charity, cancer ACTIVE.

Since he's not based in the UK, Woollams often contributes at arm's length.

He's put a chunk of his own money behind the various initiatives but, as well as research and writing, he jets from one venue to another to talk about cancer. At the end of last year he did a 36-day speaking tour of the UK, followed by a short break in Barbados, and then he's scheduled working visits to LA, Japan, Australia, Singapore and Israel.