The comedian Matt Forde tells of his shock diagnosis at 40, how cancer has enriched his life, and returning to stand-up comedy as a 'stoma owner'
The comedian Matt Forde tells of his shock diagnosis at 40, how cancer has enriched his life, and returning to stand-up comedy as a 'stoma owner'
Forde worked for Labour as an organiser and adviser from 2004 to 2009. Today he is considered “our foremost satirical stand-up”; his podcasthas bagged an impressive list of political heavyweights, from Tony Blair to Jacob Reese Mogg and Nigel Farage. In the run up to the election he is undertaking an ambitious challenge for the podcast: interviewing a candidate from all 650 constituencies before polling day.
What was it like hearing the C-word? “It was actually my wife who said it first. The doctor said it was an unusual lesion, which wasn’t registering with me at all. My wife asked, ‘Is it cancer?’ and he said ‘Yeah’. You suddenly go ‘Woah, woah, woah’. Your mind starts racing. My life and my body were about to change dramatically.”
An outpouring of support also played its part. “I went through a period when I was in intolerable pain and severely distressed. I was just broken. I cried a lot. Well-wishers genuinely alleviated it. I’d get a flutter of adrenaline that eased the pain and gave me a lift. In my darkest hour, it meant so much.”
How has Forde’s cancer journey affected his political viewpoint? “It just reaffirmed my belief that free healthcare is fundamental. I was at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore and very aware of it being a global centre of excellence. The level of surgery, care, nursing and physio was elite level. The surroundings were lovely. The food was great. Visitors thought I’d gone private. Everyone should have access to that experience.
Forde’s final challenge is returning to stand-up. He’s warming up for a month-long run back in Edinburgh, which he describes as “a full circle moment”.
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