Matt Forde hit the red carpet with a cane at the British Podcast Awards at London’s Outernet on Thursday amid his battle with bone cancer.
The comedian, 41, revealed last week that he had had a stoma bag fitted after doctors told him, just three months after his wedding to his wife Laura, that he had a tumor called chordoma in the lower part of his the column.
Matt cut a dapper figure in a smart navy suit for the look which he wore over a crisp white shirt.
She completed the look with a pair of comfortable sneakers and smiled as she posed for photos before the ceremony.
In the months leading up to his August 2023 diagnosis, Matt was performing at the Pleasance Courtyard, where he was “high as a kite” due to a suspected herniated disc.
Matt Forde, 41, took to the red carpet with a cane at the British Podcast Awards at London’s Outernet on Thursday amid his battle with bone cancer.
The comedian, 41, revealed last week that he had a stoma bag fitted after doctors told him, just three months after his wedding to his wife Laura, that he had a tumor called chordoma in the lower part of his column.
When the comedian visited the doctor for excruciating back pain, he was prescribed codeine, diazepam, and an MRI.
An MRI later revealed that his “herniated disc” was, in fact, a cancerous tumor, called a chordoma, in his spine.
After a grueling 13-hour, ten-week surgery at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital, he was discharged with a colostomy bag and stoma.
talking to The times Speaking about his upcoming tour, The End Of An Era Tour, he said that when he heard the C-word from the doctors, it was “like an elevator rushing down from the bottom of his lungs to his belly button.”
He said: “It was a good job sitting because I think my legs would probably have buckled.”
Matt immediately went into survival mode. “I would have done anything to live, literally I would have sacrificed anything,” he said.
“The doctors could have removed any part of me they needed, so I could have an extra second on this planet with my wife, that was the main thing.”
During his stay in hospital, the comedian underwent an intense recovery, which left him bedridden and needing regular four-hour shifts.
Matt cut a dapper figure in a smart navy suit for the look which he layered over a crisp white shirt.
After a grueling 13-hour, ten-week surgery at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital, he was discharged with a colostomy bag and stoma.
During his hospital stay, the comedian experienced an intense recovery, which left him bedridden and needing regular four-hour shifts.
To help him recover, his wife had a sweet idea to help him stay motivated in his recovery.
He placed two photographs on opposite sides of the hospital room, one of Ben Stokes after scoring his century at Headingley and on the other side a photo of Stuart Pearce celebrating his penalty against Spain.
“So no matter what side I was on, I had a patriotic individual who had overcome the pain and the struggle by roaring every four hours,” he revealed.
Before becoming a comedian, Matt worked for the Labor Party, prompting a visit from current Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
While Matt does not have cancer, he has had lifelong changes in his bladder and bowel functions.
You have to use a stoma and colostomy bag and you will need to self-catheterize.
Matt’s “End of an Era” tour will begin on October 2 at Norwich, Playhouse, and will end on March 12, 2025 at the Glasgow Glee Club.
What is a stoma?
A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that serves to divert the flow of urine and stool.
According to the NHS, this procedure may be necessary if you are unable to pass stool through the anus, which could be the result of an illness, injury or problem with your digestive system.
In the UK, it is estimated that one in 335 people have had this surgery.
The procedure can be part of treatment for a number of diseases, including cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease, or any trauma to the abdomen.
The stoma will usually be “pink and very similar to the inside of our mouth.” After surgery, you will be swollen, but this will go down in six to eight weeks.
There is no sensation when touching a stoma, as there are no nerves, but different people will have theirs in different sizes or shapes.
It is also possible to have a temporary stoma, which could then be reversed, if the diseased or damaged area of the intestine needs to heal over time.
A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that serves to divert the flow of urine and stool. Stock image used
TYPES OF STOMA
COLOSTOMY
This refers to an opening in the colon, the large intestine. During the operation, a part of the colon will be moved from inside the body through the abdomen. The production of this “often resembles traditional stools” and works between one and three times a day.
ILEOSTOMY
For this procedure, the surgeon will bring a part of the small intestine, specifically the ileum, from inside the patient’s body and bring it through the abdomen, suturing it to secure it. The result of an ileostomy is more flexible than that of a colostomy. An ileostomy bag is also worn, allowing drainage into the toilet three to six times a day.
UROSTOMY
A urostomy specifically refers to an opening for a person’s urine. To do this, the surgeon will take a piece of a person’s small intestine and attach it to the ureters. This will “form a tube through which urine will pass.” To do this, one of the tubes is taken out through the abdomen. A urostomy bag will also have a “plug or spigot at the bottom to allow urine to drain into the toilet at regular intervals.”
Fountain: Colostomy UK, National Health Service