Rhod Gilbert says he won't 'be short of material' for comedy amid cancer battle

Stand-up comedian Rhod Gilbert has said he "won't be short of material" when he returns to the stage, having recently revealed his stage four cancer diagnosis.

The 54-year-old Welsh comic explained to fans in a recent BBC interview that he had been diagnosed earlier this year after having to cancel shows when an extremely sore throat left him short of breath.

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In a post to his official Facebook page on Thursday, Gilbert thanked fans for their support and confirmed he has undergone surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy since his diagnosis.

He expressed his praise and thankfulness for the work of the Velindre Cancer Centre — a specialist oncology unit in Cardiff, for whom Gilbert raised money prior to his diagnosis.

Gilbert wrote: "Thanks to their tireless dedication and incredible care, and lots of wonderful support from friends, family and you lot, I am recovering well, laughing a lot and feeling happy and positive; we are all optimistic that I will come through this.

"I am making plans for 2023, so watch this space for info on the comedy stuff; there have been a lot of laughs in odd places, so I am not going to be short of material.

"Until then, thanks again for your kindness and support."

Gilbert began performing stand-up in 2002 and won numerous awards in his early years, breaking out into the mainstream with his 2008 show Rhod Gilbert and the Award-Winning Mince Pie.

He is a panel show regular and was the permanent host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks for a year prior to its axe in 2015, also fronting The Apprentice: You're Fired! for several series.

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Gilbert has also hosted several comedy programmes, including several series of Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience and the Comedy Central chat show Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains.

His newest stand-up DVD The Book of John was released recently, with Jimmy Carr performing promotional duties on Gilbert's behalf due to his illness.

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