Comedian Rhod Gilbert says that having cancer was a ‘positive thing’

Rhod Gilbert says cancer diagnosis ‘p****d him off’

Comedian Rhod Gilbert has admitted that having cancer was a “positive thing,” but shares that he “doesn’t want it back.” The Welsh comedian was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in his head and neck in June 2022.

Speaking to The Times, the 55-year-old detailed his experience of battling the illness and how he lost two-and-a-half stone in a year during his treatment.

Speaking on his documentary, he added: ” I was just going to put it on YouTube at first, to raise awareness. My oncologist was talking about HPV [human papillomavirus, which is how Gilbert caught the cancer] and I had never heard of it.

“She was talking about head and neck cancer — I’d never heard of that. She was talking about vaccines for HPV — I’d never heard of that either. I thought, there’s a story to be told.

“Although [on a] lot of days I wasn’t well enough to do a video diary. The documentary barely scratched the surface of the awfulness of it, really.”

In June 2022, Rhod announced that he had stage four cancer after doctors found the disease in his neck and head during a biopsy. The comedian is best known for appearing on panel shows such as Mock The Week and Would I Lie To You?.

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Rhod gave a health update in November last year when speaking to Zoe Ball on BBC Radio 2, admitting that he “never would have imagined this day” and confirming he is “completely back and fine”.

Speaking to Zoe, he shared: “Look at me now and listen to me, I’ve got a few niggly symptoms I’ll probably always carry. But I would never have imagined this day would be here – that I’d be sitting here, my voice is normal.

“My energy levels are pretty much normal. But I’m completely back and fine. And hopefully that’ll give people comfort and hope.”