BBC comedian Mark Steel has been left almost without a voice and struggling to swallow after an intensive cancer battle. He is promoting a book about his health battle.
Comedian Mark Steel has been left barely able to speak two years after he was diagnosed with throat cancer.
The 64-year-old stand-up is well known for his Mark Steel’s In Town show on BBC Radio 4 as well as appearances on panel shows such as Have I Got News for You and Mock the Week. Mark first revealed that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer in October 2023, revealing he was receiving treatment for the disease.
The star is currently dating fellow comedy performer Shaparak Khorsandi but was previously married to Natasha Steel, and he is the father of stand-up comedian Elliot Steel, 28, and a daughter named Eloise. In October 2023, he took to X to thank fans for sending him support about his health battle.
He wrote at the time: “Thanks SO much to all of you for so many funny caring messages. And to my brilliant partner and magnificent son and daughter, amazing friends and astonishing staff at St George’s and when this is over you must all come to mine to celebrate good health by getting utterly drunk.”
Now an update on Mark’s condition has been provided, revealing that he is struggling to speak or swallow as he continues to battle the cancer. This week, he sat down with The Times for an interview while promoting his new memoir, titled The Leopard In My House: One Man’s Adventures in Cancerland.
Speaking to Times journalist Helen Rumbelow, she noted: “His voice is barely audible and he pauses between sentences to tackle the job of swallowing.” She went on to give readers a further description of the comic’s vocals, comparing him to a late musician and singer.
She wrote: “For me Steel is synonymous with his booming estuary accent, a voice as strong and steely as his political views. Instead I am talking to someone who sounds like a whispering Leonard Cohen recording a sex tape.” As the conversation went on, Mark noted that he had lost his appetite and hadn’t eaten in days – but was happy to account that it “isn’t the cancer coming back”.
He had shared with fans in May 2024 that doctors had declared him cancer free, seven months after he had first given details about his health battle. He revealed at the time: “A nice man from UCL Hospital called this week, to say a scan of me showed the cancer I had has all gone. The treatment worked, the cancer bottled it and ran off, the wimp.
He added: “One thing I’ve learned through all this is I don’t recommend chemotherapy or radiotherapy as recreational drugs. I can’t see them taking off in the clubs. UCLH is an amazing place packed with wonderful souls. They’ve saved my life but I reckon this mention on Twitter makes us even. Also, I discovered my son and daughter are magnificent and that I know lots of brilliant people who are beautifully kind and funny and rude.
“And… lots of you sent me messages which was SO appreciated and I’d marry you all if there wasn’t a law against it. Now I’ll shut up about it, after the ‘my cancer journey’ book and tour and musical. And from now on I’ll be careful not to catch cancer again.”
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