Alan Davies candidly opens up on cancer battle as he delves into operation ordeal in new update: 'Not very nice'

Lauren Williams
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:07:27 +0000

Comedian Alan Davies has opened up about his recent bladder cancer journey and the ordeal he went through with the operation.

Mr Davies revealed he had a bladder cancer scare last year while working on his latest autobiography - White Male Stand-Up.

The memoir follows his 2020 release Just Ignore Him, which detailed his difficult childhood experiences.

During an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine Kelly, Mr Davies explained that he noticed blood in the toilet bowl after urinating.

"I am okay. That happened when I was writing the book, and there was a bit of blood in the toilet bowl after a wee."

The comedian stressed the importance of acting quickly, adding: "And you have to ring the doctor immediately, and luckily they caught it early, and I went in and I had a tumour, and I had it removed."

He reflected on how fortunate the timing was: "If I hadn't spotted it, who knows. It was bladder cancer, but I was very lucky."

The comedian has addressed the ordeal further, speaking on tonight's The Jonathan Ross Show.

Mr Davies reflected: “2024 I had bladder cancer. Luckily, little bit of blood in the toilet bowl and I saw it… to get that tumour out, they have to go.

“Up the," he added before gesturing towards his never-regions. "So my advice is, if you’re going to have a flexible cystoscopy…

"It’s not very nice and it’s not as bad as you think. That’s accurate. They got it out, so phew. I’m all clear now.”

Thankfully, after getting his tumour cleared, the comedian is back on tour. “I didn’t know if anyone would come," he 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.”

He continued: “I’m going everywhere with the show. It’s called ‘Think Ahead’, I have to now. I spend more time in the pharmacy than the gym.”

Mr Davies added: “I lost my mum, there’s an abuse story with my father, which I didn’t really confront until I was really in my 50s.

“This is the first stand-up show where I’ve been able to talk about these difficult subjects… let’s not have shame, let’s all talk, talk, talk.

“You have to make it funny; very funny before it and really funny after it… weaving it into the thread of the show.

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“If the show was a cake, this has got all the ingredients in. It’s a richer and better experience.”

His autobiography delves into the painful experiences he kept buried for years, including the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his father between the ages of eight and 13.

This abuse began after his mother passed away from leukaemia when he was just six years old, with the comedian only reporting his father to police eight years ago.

He was told the man couldn't face trial due to being in his eighties, having dementia, and living in a care home - causing a rift within his family, with his older brother cutting off contact entirely.

Mr Davies told The Telegraph: "My older brother stopped speaking to me after I had dad arrested. He stopped sending birthday cards to my kids."

Despite the family fallout, Mr Davies believes speaking out matters beyond his personal circumstances.

He explained: "This is bigger than my family. You can't not shine a light on it, just because you find it 'a bit awkward.'"

The comedian has spoken previously about how carrying childhood trauma affects every aspect of life, describing secrets and shame as "terrible things to carry for a child" that "taint everything you do.”