Thousands raised to help comic suffering respiratory illness

Friends of comedian John Mann have rallied to raise funds after a respiratory illness has left him unable to work.

Colleagues on the circuit are among those who have donated more than £6,500 to help the stand-up and writer with his living expenses.

The GoFundMe crowdfunder was set up by Jim Howarth, promoter of the Comedy Hotspot shows in Central England.

He wrote: 'Those close to [Mann] will know he has been unwell for a while, but he has been soldiering on but even the toughest soldier have their limits. John has barely worked for the last 2 months as he barely worked and financially that has put him in a very tough situation.

'He has a serious long term respiratory issue and on top of that he has pneumonia, with an infection on his lung which is proving very difficult to shift.

He added: ''His first thought is always to look after others, and he is always on hand to advise and support. It is now it is time to return the favour by offering him our support.

'These are the pitfalls of being self employed, we have to push through difficult times as we lose income. I am hoping we can take away some of the pressure he finds himself under so he can focus on his recovery.'

A former stand-up Mann has written for the likes of  Phill Jupitus, Lenny Henry, Paul O’Grady, Milton Jones, Harry Enfield and  Gina Yashere.

He also worked as an  audience warm-up for Father Ted, Blankety Blank and Ant & Dec and a as a consultant to several comedians.

Published: 1 Mar 2025