Comedian Rhod Gilbert has opened up about being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in July 2022 but he admits he’s on a mission to have people talk about the condition
Rhod Gilbert has opened up about how he deals with his cancer diagnosis.
The comedian, 56, announced in July 2022 that he had been diagnosed with stage four cancer and was subsequently being treated at the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff. Following his diagnosis, Rhod took a break from his hectic career in order to aid his recovery, which included surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
At the time, he said he would have “never imagined” being a patient at the centre, having previously supported them over the years. Initially, Rhod had been suffering from a sore throat and difficulty breathing. His symptoms worsened while he was in Cuba fundraising. Speaking in December 2022, he said: “In May, I noticed lumps started popping up in places they shouldn’t be. It turns out I’ve got Stage 4 cancer.
“I also caught Covid on that walk as well. I came home with cancer and Covid from a Velindre fundraising trek… The irony of that! I went as a Velindre patron and came home as a patient.” Now, he has revealed how he is dealing with his own diagnosis. Speaking to Reach Plc, he said: “It’s just everywhere, which is why I think it’s important to talk about it and get it out there and try and find humour in it and try and normalise it, and that’s what I’ve been doing on stage. I just focused on what good I could do in that moment I suppose.”
The comedian previously opened up about using comedy as a way to cope with his own journey, saying the disease is “a lot less scary if your oncologist is laughing with you.” He made his TV comeback in early 2023 after receiving the all-clear and brought his positive attitude back to the stage with a new tour called Rhod Gilbert and The Giant Grapefruit.
He explained the name, saying it was partly a nod to James and the Giant Peach and partly a reference to “the giant tumour that was in his neck.” He added that the tour was also about how “when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.
“But this is what to do when life starts throwing grapefruits at you which is worse in my opinion,” he continued to Alex and Jermaine. “But, it’s a happy show, it’s an uplifting show. People come out uplifted, full of beans. It’s probably the happiest show I’ve ever done, weirdly.”
Earlier this year, Rhod appeared on BBC’s The One Show and shared an update about his condition. He told Alex Jones and her former co-star Jermaine Jenas that he was “still all clear!” and was still under the “wonderful” care of the Velindre Cancer Centre. He said: “Still under the care of the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, still having checks every few weeks but, at the moment, all clear. I mean, I feel wonderful. I have a few issues that I may or may not have for the rest of my life. Who knows, who cares! I’m here, I’m good and every night, I’m sort of on-stage pinching myself that I’m doing this, performing now two years after being diagnosed.”
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