A night of laughter, powerful personal stories and life-saving conversations saw over £1300 raised for Essex-based The Robin Cancer Trust as comedians and cancer survivors took to the stage for Bllcks to Cancer at Rich Mix in East London.
The sold-out event welcomed over 100 attendees and brought together some of Britain’s best-loved comedians, including Richard Herring, Abandoman (Rob Broderick), Miles Blumson, Laura Smyth and Junior Booker, all hosted by Jonathan Stadlen, founder of Live Next to the Apollo.
Organised by The Robin Cancer Trust advocate and testicular cancer survivor Patrick Frank, the event aimed to raise both funds for the charity and raise awareness of testicular cancer, encouraging more men to recognise the signs, check themselves regularly and seek medical advice if something doesn’t feel right.
Patrick was diagnosed with stage one testicular cancer in 2021 after noticing something wasn’t right and acting quickly. Following surgery to remove the tumour, he has remained cancer-free ever since. Rather than quietly move on from his experience, he has dedicated himself to raising awareness and funds for The Robin Cancer Trust. Previous challenges have included running a 27km route across London mapped in the shape of a penis and testicles while handing out awareness stickers, as well as completing the London Marathon. Bllcks to Cancer marked his biggest fundraising event to date.
Richard Herring, who headlined the event, also experienced testicular cancer and recently toured his acclaimed show Can I Have My Ball Back?, inspired by his own diagnosis and recovery.
Miles Blumson, comedian, radio presenter and fellow testicular cancer survivor, said: “Getting to raise awareness for such a common issue in such a fun way was incredible. Hopefully at least one man went home and checked their balls afterwards. Oh, and Richard actual Herring was on the same stage as me… wow!”
Toby Freeman, CEO and founder of The Robin Cancer Trust, said: “We were blown away by the support for this event and incredibly grateful to Patrick, every comedian who donated their time, everyone who bought a ticket and every person who helped raise £1300 for the charity. Events like this show that humour can be one of the most powerful ways to break down stigma, start conversations and ultimately save lives through earlier diagnosis.”
Funds raised from the evening will help The Robin Cancer Trust continue delivering life-saving awareness talks, education and support across the UK, helping more young people recognise the signs of testicular, ovarian and germ cell cancers before it’s too late.
The Robin Cancer Trust is the UK’s only charity dedicated to testicular, ovarian and germ cell cancers. Founded in 2012 by Toby Freeman after losing his 24-year-old brother Robin to a rare form of testicular cancer, the charity has reached millions of people online and delivered life-saving cancer awareness talks to more than 100,000 students across the UK, helping break down stigma and encourage earlier diagnosis.
