Alan Davies has opened up about the frightening health scare that changed everything, revealing the first small sign that led to his bladder cancer diagnosis.
The comedian, 60, spoke candidly during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, explaining that he feels fortunate he noticed something was wrong when he did. Two years after first revealing his diagnosis, Alan shared that the earliest warning sign was “a little bit of blood in the toilet bowl”, admitting that spotting it quickly may have made all the difference.
Recalling the moment, he said: “In 2024 I had bladder cancer. Luckily, a little bit of blood in the toilet bowl and I saw it…”
Alan then described the operation he underwent to remove the tumour, speaking with his trademark humour even while discussing the ordeal. He told Jonathan: “To get that tumour out, they have to go… up the… so my advice is, if you’re going to have a flexible cystoscopy…”
Despite the uncomfortable nature of the treatment, Alan made clear that the reality was less terrifying than he had feared. Thanking the surgeons involved in his care, he said: “It’s not very nice and it’s not as bad as you think. That’s accurate. They got it out, so phew.”
In a hugely reassuring update for fans, Alan confirmed that he has since been given the all clear.
Following the health battle, the QI star has also returned to touring for the first time in a decade. He admitted he had been unsure whether audiences would still come to see him after such a long break, saying: “I didn’t know if anyone would come.”
But the response appears to have eased those fears. Reflecting on getting back on stage, Alan joked: “It’s a bit like having a party. But people did come, and a lot of them had grey hair and hadn’t been out for ages.”
Last month, Alan also spoke about more personal parts of his life while appearing on The One Show to discuss his new stand-up tour and his memoir, White Male Stand-Up.
The book, which he wrote for his three children — Susie, Robert and Francis — offers a deeper look into his life, career and the emotional baggage he has carried with him over the years. Speaking about why he wanted to write it, Alan said: “It’s the second volume. I’ve written two volumes. The first one was really about my childhood, [it’s] a little bit bleak.”
He added: “And then this one’s about my career in comedy and television, whilst carrying some of this baggage along. I kind of naively thought that you go towards the future and you leave the past behind, but it doesn’t really work like that.”
Alan went on to explain that the memoir was, in part, something he wanted to leave behind for his children, saying: “So, it’s about turning around and confronting that and I wanted a record of where I’ve been, what I’ve done and who I am. They can’t read it yet, but it’s there for them.”
