...and he hosts a TV roast battle to raise money for research

Rhod Gilbert has made a documentary about his head and neck cancer – and will host a TV comedy roast to help raise money for research.

The comic will take a central part in Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer campaign next month with the screening of both the ‘intimate, inspiring and - yes - humorous’ film, A Pain In The Neck, as well as the SU2C Comedy Roast.

Taking part in the latter will be comics   Ellie Taylor, Danny Beard, Nish Kumar, Sara Barron, Thanyia Moore, Bobby Mair, Harriet Kemsley, Fatiha El-Ghorri and Larry Dean.

Meanwhile, A Pain In The Neck tells the story of his cancer diagnosis  mainly through his personal video diaries.

Channel 4 says: ‘With his typical unflinching and mordant humour, this sensitive and thoughtful documentary will show one of the UK’s best-loved comedians share his personal experience of living with cancer and receiving treatment at the very hospital he supported for over a decade.’

It will be screened at 9pm on Monday October 30, with the main Stand Up To Cancer telethon being  broadcast a few days later – on Friday November 3 –  from The Francis Crick Institute in London, a renowned hub for pioneering cancer research.

The 90-minute show will be hosted by Davina McCall, Adam Hills, Joe Lycett and Munya Chawawa and feature guests such as Rita Ora, Oti Mabuse, John Bishop, Greg Davies, Jordan Gray and Ghosts stars Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.

Following this, Channel 4 will show an new Celebrity Gogglebox, the finale of Don’t Look Down hosted Paddy McGuinness – in which celebrities attempt a highwire walk over the London Stadium, home of the 2012 Olympics – and then the  SU2C Comedy Roast.

The night will end with a screening of Sean Lock's 2010 stand-up show Lockipedia, recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. The comedian died of lung cancer on August 16, 2021, aged 58

Before his diagnosis, Gilbert helped raise almost £2million for the Velindre Cancer Hospital in Cardiff  – which ended up treating him.

The full description for his documentary reads: ‘In June 2022, comedian Rhod Gilbert was diagnosed with head and neck cancer, caused by a virus known as HPV. This intimate, inspiring and - yes - humorous documentary follows him through 18 months of hope and hell as he confronts his illness.

'It powerfully captures the raw reality of living with a little-known cancer, shedding light on the challenges and raising awareness of the condition.

'Rhod shares his daunting journey from diagnosis, through initial surgery, to chemotherapy and radiotherapy with remarkable openness. Through intimate video diaries, we accompany him on all the ups and downs, share in the triumphant moment when he rings the end-of-treatment bell, and then the agonising wait to find out if his treatment has worked as he tries to pull his life back together.

'On top of everything he's dealing with, Rhod undertakes a personal challenge, not only to raise awareness of his condition and how it can be prevented in the future, but also to raise funds for the cancer hospital that played a pivotal role in saving his life.'

The line-up for Celebrity Googlebox has not yet been revealed, while the famous names taking part in Don’t Look Down are Beverley Callard, Anton Ferdinand, Kimberly Wyatt, Chris Hughes, David Ginola, Charley Boorman, GK Barry, Fats Timbo and Victoria Pendleton

• To donate to Stand Up To Cancer online, visit Channel4.com/SU2C

Published: 23 Oct 2023