BBC comic on 'time I've got left' in tragic admission after heartbreaking cancer battle

Matt Forde opened up about his cancer battle as the comedian made a tragic confession. He revealed on Thursday (October 16) that this day marked "two years of being cancer-free" as he admitted the heartbreaking realisation of being confronted with his own mortality. The comedian, who fronts The Matt Forde Focus Group on BBC Radio 4, was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare type of bone cancer, in 2023. The cancerous tumour was found at the base of his spine. Following his diagnosis, he underwent extensive surgery and was fitted with a permanent colostomy bag.

Taking to social media, he penned a personal message and said he often thought about how much time he would have left in a sad admission before he was flooded with messages of support. Matt began: "Today I'm two years cancer free. It sounds barmy but at times I completely forget that I had it. I can't figure out if that makes me a very positive person or a moron. Probably a bit of both.

My main reflection is that I'm very lucky. Lucky to have caught it when I did, to still be alive as a result, to have been treated by the NHS at such a phenomenal hospital that (@thernohcharity), and with such wonderful people around me. Oh and the hospital food was delicious."

He continued: "Having to confront my mortality is one of the most powerful things I've ever experienced. To really have to think about my life ending and how I'd spend the time I had left."

The comedian went on to share that he planned to do anything he could in order to survive.

"I was scared and I cried a lot. But I knew it was preferable to leaving that tumour in there to destroy me," he mused.

After an emergency doctor's appointment, he was sent for an MRI. The scan revealed that, rather than a slipped or swollen disc as first thought, it was a tumour. Matt, 42, was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare type of bone cancer affecting around one in a million people which develops in the base of the spine or skull.

He was discharged just before Christmas after 10 weeks in hospital, and now has a colostomy bag and stoma for life.

Matt continued: "The recovery was exceptionally painful at times. I cannot believe the levels of pain that the human body can endure without blacking out.

I still have a lingering level of pain now but I can totally deal with it in a way that I wouldn't have been able to before. The scale of the agony has totally reframed what I consider to be a bad time."

Matt shared that he still has some issues since undergoing major surgery to remove the tumour.

He explained: "I have a stoma, I have to self-catheterise, I've got stress incontinence and I've got erectile dysfunction. But these are all small prices to pay for being alive. Some smaller than others."

The comedian said his oncologist believed the tumour could have been on his spine for five years as he urged others to seek medical help if they believe something is wrong.

"You know your own body. If there's something wrong, please get it checked. Whatever it is. Ignoring it won't make it go away. Hopefully you get told that it's nothing, but if it's bad news it's less bad if you catch it early," he shared.

Matt concluded: "One huge benefit is that lager tastes incredible. I cannot explain this, but since my operation, lager tastes even more refreshing than it did before. That has not diminished in the last two years. Maybe there is a God."

Having been in the world of politics for a long time, Matt, who worked for Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and is now a stand-up comedian.

He has own political comedy series on BBC Radio 4 and the well-known satirist's TV appearances include Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, Spitting Image, and The Royal Variety Performance.

He wrote and voiced characters including Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer and Donald Trump for Spitting Image.