Richard Herring previously opened up about his cancer diagnosis, admitting he was “so worried about dying” in a heartbreaking confession.
The writer and comic shot to fame in the 1990s as part of the comedy double act Lee and Herring, alongside Stewart Lee. Since then, Richard – who is on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C today (March 29).
However, in 2021, when Richard was 53, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
It’s important to us that you never miss our articles when searching for stories! We have all the latest TV & Celebrity news to share with our community of loyal readers.
Click here and tick Entertainmentdaily.com
Richard Herring ‘wanted to stay alive’ amid cancer battle
Talking in 2024 about his cancer diagnosis, Richard revealed his reaction when he was told he would have to have a testicle removed.
“I wasn’t yelling ‘hurrah!’, but I was so worried about dying, more than anything, that I just wanted the cancer gone,” he told iNews.
“I think when the oncologist told me about the operation, she expected me to be more upset, but the tumour was six centimetres already – bigger than the testicle itself – and I just wanted to stay alive.”
Following the operation, and after having chemotherapy, Richard no longer has testicular cancer.
My kids aren’t going to know who I was
Meanwhile in 2024, Richard – who shares a daughter and son with fellow comedian Catie Wilkins – recalled the moment he got the phone call from his doctor with the bad news,
“My son was two at the time, my daughter was five. I’d just been playing with the family and my son was just laughing in the next room, so there was this real moment of ‘Oh my God’ you know? My kids aren’t going to know who I was,” he said on Chris Moyles Radio X show.
“So that bit [in the show] is quite emotional.… I really cried thinking about my kids and then myself, and not being here anymore. But you know, there was so much kind of clarity within that [90-second phone call] I realise just how many different things went through my head.”
Richard on being diagnosed with cancer
Richard went on to share: “You know in a comedy film when they have the five stages of grief? They go through them, and the other person goes… Gets angry, then happy, accepts it.
“But it was really like that, kind of. Sort of bargaining. Going, ‘well, maybe it’s best if I die straight away so they don’t know who I am?”
He then spoke about the future, revealing: “Then I was thinking, ‘no, I’ve got to work out how I can earn enough money to look after my family, what passwords to pass onto my wife – and which ones she must never find.”
“And you know, you’re thinking about how she’s going to bring up two kids on her own – to begin with. Of course, she’s very attractive, she’ll find someone. I was thinking about the guy – her next husband – drinking all of my whisky!”
Watch Richard on The Great Celebrity Bake Off for SU2C on Sunday (March 29) at 6:40pm on Channel 4.
What do you think of this story? You can leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know