Taskmaster star Richard Herring has been diagnosed with cancer for a second time, announcing the news to his Substack followers. The comedian revealed he has hairy cell leukaemia, a blood cancer he describes as 'incurable' but treatable.
Comedian's Second Cancer Diagnosis
Richard Herring, known for winning Taskmaster twice, shared the update with his subscribers on the publishing platform. 'Let me give you the bad news first. I have cancer again. Not ball cancer this time, I can't afford to lose another one of those,' he wrote. 'This time I have blood cancer. And God is determined to make sure I get the funniest cancers possible and this one is called hairy cell leukaemia. The other bad news is that it is incurable.'
Treatment and Prognosis
Despite the alarming diagnosis, Herring reassured readers that the condition is treatable. 'The good news is that it's entirely treatable and will not kill me,' he said. He joked about using the diagnosis to avoid social events and set up a fundraising page, adding, 'Ha ha ha. It's not even a scam. It's all true. I just won't mention that fact that it's treatable.'
Lengthy Diagnosis Process
Herring explained that the diagnosis took years. 'They found a few of the cells in my bone marrow about 12 years ago, but it didn't get any worse,' he said. He admitted he had 'sort of forgotten about it' until recent medical conversations. He described his first day of chemotherapy and praised the NHS, assuring fans there were 'no immediate problems.'
Career Highlights
The comedian is best known for his stand-up work and his victories on Taskmaster in 2020, winning both the tenth series and the Champion of Champions special. He has created 14 one-man shows and co-wrote the sitcom 'Time Gentlemen Please.' He also appears on shows like 'Have I Got News For You' and 'The Great Celebrity Pottery Throwdown.'
No Connection to Previous Cancer
Herring confirmed the blood cancer is not linked to his previous testicular cancer. 'It's not linked to the testicular cancer. Someone up there just doesn't like me. But they don't hate me that much,' he joked. 'To have one cancer elicits sympathy, but getting two starts to look a bit like attention-seeking.'
