Alan Davies shares health update after bladder cancer surgery
Alan Davies has given an emotional update on his recovery from bladder cancer, revealing how the experience has reshaped both his life and his comedy.
Alan Davies has opened up about life after his bladder cancer diagnosis, admitting he’s relieved to be recovering well and grateful the tumour was caught early.
The 60-year-old comedian has spoken of the importance of catching the disease early and the symptom that led him to seek medical advice.
Appearing on this weekend's episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, he said: “In 2024 I had bladder cancer.
“Luckily, a little bit of blood in the toilet bowl and I saw it…”
Alan described the procedure to remove the tumour, adding with typical blunt humour: “To get that tumour out, they have to go… up the… If you’re going to have a flexible cystoscopy… it’s not very nice, and it’s not as bad as you think. That’s accurate. They got it out, so phew.”
Back on tour, Alan admitted he wasn’t sure anyone would still show up after his time away.
He joked: “I didn’t know if anyone would come. It’s a bit like having a party.
“But people did come — and a lot of them had grey hair and hadn’t been out for ages.”
His new show, Think Ahead, sees him tackling subjects he’s never confronted publicly before.
He said: “I have to now.
“I spend more time in the pharmacy than the gym.”
Alan said the show has become richer because he’s finally addressing long‑buried pain.
He said: “I lost my mum, there’s an abuse story with my father, which I didn’t really confront until I was in my 50s. This is the first stand‑up show where I’ve been able to talk about these difficult subjects.”
He believes honesty is essential, adding: “Let’s not have shame, let’s all talk, talk, talk. You have to make it funny — very funny before it and really funny after it. If the show was a cake, this has got all the ingredients in. It’s a richer and better experience.”
The Jonathan Ross Show airs Saturday at 10pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
