Rhod Gilbert

Welsh comedian and TV presenter Rhod Gilbert broke down in tears while talking about his health on Sunday.

Appearing as a guest on “The

Great Bake Off Stand Up to Cancer” special, 55-year-old Gilbert shared his cancer battle with other contestants, including Danny Dyer, Leigh Francis and Yinka Bokinni.

With tears in his eyes, he shared that his “brutal” battle with cancer started when he received a diagnosis of head and neck cancer in 2022. He has been clear from the disease since October 2023.

Gilbert said he felt lucky to be on the show with fellow comedians. “For me, it’s really, really emotional to be here. There was a point where I didn’t really know what the future held … just to be here, to be anywhere, is pretty good. Amazing, yeah.” “I’m lucky to be here at all,” he continued, adding, “I realized when I got cancer that I have been plodding through life thinking ‘other people get cancer.’” Gilbert has been raising funds for cancer care and research over the past 10 years. He discovered his cancer during one of his fundraising treks after he noticed symptoms of the disease.

The TV presenter had to cancel his programs and shows to focus on his treatment. But he went on to record his recovery journey in the documentary “Rhod Gilbert: A Pain In The Neck” for Channel 4.

He said that he got the idea of capturing his journey while laying in bed on a Friday night, just a few days before his treatment started.

“It was partly for me,” he said. “I’d canceled all my TV work and tours, and I wanted to have something other than ‘cancer’ in my diary.”

“I knew I wouldn’t be well enough to go on stage or TV, but I thought I might be well enough to lie in bed and talk to a documentary team about how ill I was,” he added. “I thought, ‘It will give me something to do.’”