Alan Davies has shared an update on his health after being diagnosed with bladder cancer. The stand-up comedian, writer, and actor, who is best known for his role in the BBC mystery series Jonathan Creek and panel show QI, was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2024.
Davies, 60, also shared the symptom that led him to seek medical attention. During an interview with Jonathan Ross on a chat show set to air on Saturday (4 April), he said: “In 2024, I had bladder cancer. Luckily, there was a little bit of blood in the toilet bowl and I saw it…”
He described the flexible cystoscopy procedure he underwent to remove the tumour. “It’s not very nice and it’s not as bad as you think,” he said. “They got it out, so phew.”
Davies has since received the all clear from his doctors and is back on the road with his tours. “I didn’t know if anyone would come,” he told Ross. “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 first tour in 10 years, Think Ahead, saw Davies tackle subjects he had never discussed publicly before. “I have to now,” he said. “I spend more time in the pharmacy than in the gym.”
Davies noted that his material has become “richer” and “better” because he is addressing serious topics such as grief and abuse. “This is the first stand-up show where I’ve been able to talk about these difficult subjects,” he said.
When speaking about the importance of honesty, Davies added: “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.”
A four-star review of the tour by The Guardian called it a “striking new show, a cross-section of the 59-year-old’s life now that reveals parts his previous shows couldn’t reach.”
Davies first revealed the story of his childhood sexual abuse in his 2020 memoir Just Ignore Him. He followed it up with another memoir, White Male Stand-Up, published last year.
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