Comedian Richard Herring has announced that he has been diagnosed with an “incurable” but “entirely treatable” blood cancer. The 58-year-old Taskmaster star shared the news in a Substack blog post, nearly five years after he revealed he had “defeated” testicular cancer.
Herring’s Diagnosis
Herring stated that he is not “too worried or upset” about the diagnosis, though he is not “delighted to have had two cancers before the age of 60”. He revealed that the cancer is called hairy cell leukaemia (HCL), a rare type of chronic leukaemia that develops slowly from white blood cells called B lymphocytes. The name comes from the hair-like outgrowths on the cells visible under a microscope.
“The other bad news is that it is incurable,” Herring wrote. “The good news is that it’s entirely treatable and will not kill me. It’s pretty annoying to get another cancer just after the other one is basically at the all-clear stage, not least because I can’t do another show and book about it so soon.”
History of the Illness
According to Herring, the blood cancer had been “bubbling under for a few years” after doctors first detected a few of the abnormal cells in his bone marrow about 12 years ago. He explained that it did not worsen, and after five years of monitoring, his doctor said it would probably be fine. “I’d sort of forgotten about it to be honest,” he added.
Herring emphasised that the HCL is not linked to his previous testicular cancer. “Someone up there just doesn’t like me. But they don’t hate me that much. So keep giving me the flimsiest and easiest to live with and funniest named cancers available,” he joked.
Treatment and NHS Praise
Accompanied by his wife, comedian Catie Wilkins, Herring began treatment this week, receiving his first injection “of essentially chemo”. He expressed admiration for the NHS but also bewilderment at how “inefficiently” it runs. “I don’t mind waiting for my free cancer treatment,” he wrote. “There just seem lots of ways to make the NHS a bit more efficient if only someone would invest properly in the thing.”
He praised the care taken to ensure correct treatment, noting, “There were dozens of patients and a handful of staff. I am extremely grateful to live in a country with a free health service, as much as I’d love for it to get the money and resources it requires. Rather than being sold off to Nigel Farage’s mates.”
Career Highlights
Herring first gained fame as one half of a double act with Stewart Lee before creating solo shows and launching Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast. In 2020, he was named Taskmaster champion, winning the show’s 10th series.
