Radio host and podcaster John Holmes is opening up about his cancer diagnosis in an effort to demystify the disease and spark conversation.
John Holmes was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2023, but says it came as a bit of a surprise because, frankly, he was too busy to do anything stupid like that. After a very strange, stressful, unexpected, and ridiculous year, John realized that men aren't as likely to talk openly about the enormous humiliation of battling cancer, so he decided to join other men who had been through the same thing and talk about it.
In BBC Radio 4's new eight-part series, The C Word with John Holmes, John is joined by comedians Stephen Fry, Mark Steele, Richard Herring, Matt Ford and Eric Idle, actors Colin McFarlane and Ben Richards, rock star and Alarm frontman Mike Peters, and journalists Jeremy Langmead, Nick Owen and Jeremy Bowen, all talking about their own experiences of undergoing cancer treatment.
John Holmes says: “If there had been a podcast like this when I was diagnosed – one packed with other people's stories and advice and moments of light to illuminate the darkness of an otherwise harrowing process, I would have been hooked on it. But there was nothing like it, so I spoke to Radio 4 and now there is.”
John and his guests unravel all things cancer-related in raw, honest, difficult, often ridiculous, and (yes) hilarious detail, from fingers up your ass to biopsy blood tests, surgeries, catheters, stomas, feeding tubes, penis pumps (yes, really), and incontinence pads.
John aims to remove the stigma and shame associated with these issues, raise awareness, encourage listeners to “get tested” and take the fear out of the entire diagnosis and treatment process in an understandable and fun way. Aiming to humanize a completely dehumanizing process riddled with unexpected moments, John Holmes Says the C-Word asserts that keeping a sense of humour is paramount.
Throughout the series, John will encourage listeners to join in and share their own experiences, whether they've experienced it themselves or supporting someone living with cancer.
Editor-in-Chief Leanne Roberts said: “John is so generous not only in sharing his experience with cancer, but in creating a new space where more men can talk openly about their experiences. The show is real, it's factual and packed with as much fun as John can muster – and it's a lot of fun. We hope it gives listeners a place to feel included, even when the topics are difficult.”
