Rhod Gilbert dealt heartbreaking blow after Stage 4 cancer diagnosis

Comedian Rhod Gilbert has shared his heartache over the loss of close friends to cancer, mere months after his own fight with the disease. The 56-year-old Welsh comedian had a tumultuous year in 2022, facing a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, stepping back from television for treatment, and then receiving the all-clear.

Yet, the relief was short-lived as he was soon confronted with the deaths of his friend's father and another close friend to the same illness, reports the Express. In an exclusive chat with Reach PLC, Rhod said: "This week I've been to a funeral for my friend's dad, who died of cancer.

"In the interval while on stage in Halifax, I [also] found out that a friend of mine had died of cancer. I knew he had gone into end of life care, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but it just happened in that moment where I just so happened to have come off stage during the interval, looked at my phone and read a text saying, 'He's gone.'".

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Rhod spoke about the importance of openness and finding strength in humour during such difficult times. "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," he said.

Rhod also opened up about his own battle with cancer, recounting the shock of his diagnosis. He said: "When you hear those words 'you've got cancer' and they're giving you percentages about your survival, it's like, oh my God, it's a lot to take in. I really am much more aware these days with how lucky I am and how much I want to get out there and live life."

The popular comedian also disclosed that humour was vital throughout his ordeal, affirming that having an oncologist laugh along made the disease "a lot less scary if your oncologist is laughing with you."

Rhod had discovered a worrying lump in his neck which led to a head and neck cancer diagnosis in spring 2022. He underwent treatment at the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, which included chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and two major surgeries. The latter surgery necessitated the removal of gallstones, pushing Rhod to reschedule seven of his tour shows scheduled for January.

He made a triumphant return to TV early in 2023 after receiving the all-clear, Rhod has launched back into performing live with his new show entitled 'Rhod Gilbert and The Giant Grapefruit. ' The name, he explains, pays homage to Roald Dahl's 'James and the Giant Peach,' while also humorously referencing "the giant tumour that was in his neck."

Rhod also revealed that the tour embodies the adage about turning a bad situation into a positive one, with his twist: "when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade". He added: "But this is what to do when life starts throwing grapefruits at you which is worse in my opinion. 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."

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