Richard Herring Shares Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis
Comedian and Taskmaster champion Richard Herring has revealed a new cancer diagnosis, this time identifying it as an incurable form of blood cancer. The 58-year-old shared the personal news via his online newsletter, explaining that this diagnosis differs from his previous battle with testicular cancer in 2021.
Details of the Diagnosis
Herring detailed the situation, stating, “I have cancer again. Not ball cancer this time, I can’t afford to lose another one of those.” He further explained the nature of his current diagnosis: “This time I have blood cancer. And God is determined to make sure I get the funniest cancers possible and this one is called hairy cell leukaemia.”
Prognosis and Treatment
While the cancer is described as incurable, Herring emphasized that it is treatable and not life-threatening. He humorously added a parenthetical note about the treatment’s risks, “The treatment has a tiny chance of killing me, but so has loading the dishwasher, so don’t worry about it.”
Humorous Outlook on Adversity
Known for his comedic approach to life, Herring indicated he intends to leverage his diagnosis for comedic material. “I will of course be using the fact that I have incurable cancer for all it’s worth for the rest of my (hopefully long) life,” he wrote. He playfully suggested potential uses, including excusing himself from unwanted social events and podcast appearances, and even setting up fundraising pages.
“Ha ha ha. It’s not even a scam. It’s all true. I just won’t mention that fact that it’s treatable,” he quipped, underscoring his characteristic dark humor.


