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Comedian Matt Forde has revealed he was fitted with an ostomy bag following life-changing surgery after being diagnosed with bone cancer.
Just three months after his wedding to wife Laura, the 41-year-old artist and radio host was told by doctors that he had a tumor called chordoma in his lower spine in August 2023.
After a gruelling 13-hour, ten-week surgery at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, he was discharged with a colostomy bag and stoma.
In the months leading up to August, Matt was performing at the Pleasance Courtyard, where he was “high as hell” due to a suspected herniated disc.
When the comedian visited the doctor for excruciating back pain, he was prescribed codeine, diazepam and an MRI.
Comedian Matt Forde has revealed he was fitted with an ostomy bag following life-changing surgery.
The 41-year-old artist has been diagnosed with bone cancer. A tumor called chordoma was discovered in the lower part of his spine after an MRI in August 2023.
An MRI later revealed that her herniated disk was, in fact, a cancerous tumor, called a chordoma, in her spine.
Talking with The times Speaking about her upcoming tour, The End Of An Era Tour, she said that when she heard the C-word at the doctor’s, it was “like an elevator coming down rapidly from the bottom of your lungs to your belly button.”
He said: “It’s a good thing I was sitting down because I think my legs probably would have buckled.”
Matt immediately went into survival mode. “I would have done anything to live, I would have literally sacrificed anything,” he said.
“The doctors could have removed any part of me they needed so I could have one more second on this planet with my wife, that was the main thing.”
During his hospital stay, the comedian went through an intense recovery, which left him bedridden and requiring 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 he had scored his century at Headingley and on the other side a photo of Stuart Pearce celebrating his penalty against Spain.
After a gruelling 13-hour, ten-week surgery at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, he was discharged with a colostomy bag and stoma.
“So no matter what side I was on, I had a patriotic individual who rose above the pain and conflict and yelled at me every four hours,” he revealed.
Before becoming a comedian, Matt worked for the Labour Party, which led to a visit by current Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
While Matt is now cancer-free, he has experienced permanent changes to his bladder and bowel functions.
You will need to use a stoma and colostomy bag and will need to self-catheterize.
Matt’s “End of an Era” Tour will begin on October 2, 2025, at the Norwich Playhouse, and will end on March 12, 2025, at the Glasgow Glee Club.
