Father Ted creator Graham Linehan has shared his joy at being cancer-free, a day after revealing he had recently been diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Linehan told his Twitter fans on Wednesday that he had undergone surgery to have a testicle removed, and that he would soon have to undergo a course of chemotherapy.
But on Thursday the TV writer said: “Well, holy shit. I just saw my oncologist. Everything’s clear. No chemo! Can’t believe it! NO CHEMO! Have been organising my life around the idea that the next three months were just *gone*!”
I got a bit of bad news recently. A little touch of the old cancer. Luckily, ball cancer is one of the best ones to have (sorry, ladies!) and they got rid of it all pretty quickly, along with a ball. Bye, ball! I'll never forget the good times!
— Graham “I didnt say that, though” Linehan (@Glinner) June 27, 2018
In a second tweet, Linehan (50) added: “Thanks to everyone who sent kind words. I’m annoyed now that I worried you all unnecessarily. AND I cancelled my Australian events. Dohhhhh.
“Still though. CANCER FREE I BE!”
Linehan originally told his 697,000 followers that he had “got a bit of bad news recently”, and that he had a “little touch of the old cancer”.
The writer, who is also known for creating sitcoms The IT Crowd and Black Books, assured fans that the musical version of Father Ted, Pope Ted, is "coming along nicely".
Linehan apologised to Australian fans who had bought tickets to an event he was due to host later this year, and said he hopes to return in 2019.
“So that’s the story,” he said.
He told fans that he hoped to continue being “the happy-go-lucky, beloved twitter personality you all know”, but warned there may be “moments of quiet” as he deals with chemotherapy.
Linehan co-created popular 1990s sitcom Father Ted with Arthur Mathews, and it will now be revived in musical form, with the music penned by Neil Hannon, who is best known as the frontman of orchestral pop band The Divine Comedy.
– PA
